Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I was of the view that, if a proposition were before the Senate and there were elements of it where senators would vote in a different way, the question in fact could be split. So could I have some guidance on that?

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: The question is that amendment (2) be agreed to. It is the question which the chamber will be confronted with. Do you wish to seek to amend the amendment?

Before we get bogged down in the detail—I know what the question before the chamber is, but I was of the view, rightly or wrongly, that, if there was a proposition being put that had a number of components to it, any senator who might want to vote differently could ask for the question to be split. But all this might be a very academic argument in the event that Senator Leyonhjelm is prepared to delete paragraph (b) of his proposal; one assumes the Senate would give leave to that if he were so minded.

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: We should hear from Senator Leyonhjelm on that point before we respond to your point. It's not a divisible amendment otherwise.