Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

The minister sought leave to move a certain number of amendments together. No, Minister, I am not being deliberately obstinate at this point in time, but I have just, as an example, asked you a range of questions. You have not responded to any of those; you have just sought to dive into amendments that have only just been circulated. I have already made the point that they have not yet been able to be digested. I asked you in my questions if you could please take me to the amendments that deal with some particular issues as part of the opening stage of this committee stage and you have not done so. So why on earth, if you cannot even conduct a regular committee stage debate where we deal with general matters first, would I be standing here agreeing to particular clusters?

There are two things that need to be dealt with before the opposition will reach an understanding of what clusters we are prepared to proceed with. One of those is that we have had time to digest your amendments. The second one, of course, is that we have a coherent running sheet that reflects those amendments. Until such time as that is before us—it is not obstinacy, Minister. You might have had these amendments in front of you, potentially, for 12 months, if I consider the question I asked you about Anglican systems. You might have known what your agenda is for 12 months, but this parliament, this Senate, has only just been provided with these amendments. Indeed, I think Senator Hanson-Young was still looking for the amendments. So, no; we will not, at this point in time, be discussing the order in which we will proceed through amendments, not until we have had an opportunity to digest them and not until we have a coherent running sheet that reflects them. You do not even know what a running sheet is, do you?—by the look on your face.