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

I will not go over at length what I said in my earlier contribution other than to indicate to colleagues that recommittal is not something that is appropriate to use as a device in a circumstance where an outcome in this chamber is not what colleagues moving a motion would have liked. Recommittal, as a mechanism by convention, is one that is sought by a particular colleague where they have had a misadventure that has prevented them getting to the chamber to vote. That is something that is usually indicated to the Senate at the earliest opportunity and certainly at least on the date itself that the substantive vote took place.

As I indicated, there was 4½ hours of time that the Senate was in session after the vote had occurred. The vote that occurred did reflect the will of the chamber and the view of the chamber. If that were not the case then that is a matter that should have been brought to the attention of the Senate on the day on which the substantive vote occurred. That did not happen and for those reasons and for those that I outlined in my contribution by leave when speaking to Senator Lambie's contribution by leave the government will not be supporting this motion.