George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Pursuant to contingent notice standing in my name, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent Senator Brandis from moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to provide that a motion relating to the hours of meeting and routine of business for today may be moved immediately and determined without amendment or debate.

Unless this motion were to be passed, it would not be possible for the Senate today to complete its consideration of some very important legislation—namely, the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Broadcasting Reform) Bill 2017 and the Commercial Broadcasting (Tax) Bill 2017. It is highly desirable that the Senate completes its consideration of that legislation today. I will leave it to the Minister for Communications and Minister for the Arts, Senator Fifield, in his contribution to this suspension debate to explain to the Senate the particular importance of dealing with this legislation in a timely fashion, and today. But I simply make the general point that it is now just before six o'clock on Wednesday. The parliament will sit for one more day, and then there will be four weeks before the Senate next sits on 16 October. We have a very full Notice Paper. We have a lot of other important legislation to consider. I think the Australian people would expect senators to actually do their job rather than go out to dinner. I know it is the custom on Wednesday evenings that the Senate adjourns early, so senators can go out to dinner and enjoy themselves around the various restaurants and bars of Canberra. But I think that the Australian people would be more impressed if they knew that we were working tonight when there is pressing and urgent business to be dealt with.