Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Colleagues, I think what we are witnessing here today is something that has become a bit of a post-budget ritual on the part of the Australian Greens—that is, on the Wednesday morning after the budget, when we have limited government business time and an agenda that has already been set, the Greens seek to move a suspension of standing orders to move a motion to address whatever the theme is they wish to prosecute about the budget. I say it is a bit of a ritual; I will not go so far as to say it is a tradition, because that might imply that it is something that will or should become a regular part of the proceedings of this place. It should not, because there are many established forms in this place for colleagues to put their views on the budget.

As the Leader of the Government in the Senate indicated, on Thursday night there is an occasion for budget reply speeches from minor parties and Independents. I am sure my colleagues in the Greens will take that opportunity. Obviously, there is the forum of question time, where colleagues around the chamber will talk about those things and put questions about those things that they think are good, bad or indifferent about the budget. We will have the appropriation bills themselves, which provide ample opportunity for colleagues to talk about the budget. Then there will be the bills giving effect to the individual budget measures that require legislation to establish them. Again, that will be an opportunity for colleagues to put their views. Not to mention, I would hazard a guess that some of the legislation related to individual budget measures may well find itself referred to Senate legislation committees. Again, that provides colleagues with a good opportunity to take advantage of.

We do have a limited amount of government business time in budget week. Obviously, we do not sit on the Monday. Yesterday we had some time; today there is not a lot; tomorrow there is even less. So, as much as I appreciate the ritual that my colleagues in the Greens are undertaking here this morning, as we do have limited government business time, I do not think they have made the case for a suspension of standing orders in order to move their motion. I know they are shocked about that. I would hope that the chamber as a whole would agree with me. I have a suspicion that the chamber might. But, as I started, let me indicate that I do not think that this ritual should change into being a tradition. It is not something that assists the orderly conduct of the business in this place. There is a lot of opportunity, as I have said, for colleagues to put their views forward, to air issues.

In voting against this motion to suspend standing orders, we as a government are not in any way, shape or form seeking to deny the opportunity to examine, to explore and to debate measures in the budget. But what this chamber needs to do is strike a balance between, on the one hand, transacting in a good and orderly way the business that is laid out on the program and, on the other hand, taking the opportunity of the many avenues and forums that will be available to colleagues over the weeks ahead to address the budget and to put their views forward.