Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Hansard source

I inform the Senate that, at 8.30 am today, four proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by lot. As a result, I inform the Senate that the following letter has been received from Senator McKim:

Pursuant to Standing Order 75, I propose the following matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion:

The inhumanity and cruelty of Australia's offshore detention system, and the need to evacuate to Australia the men, women and children detained on Manus Island and Nauru.

Is the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

I understand that informal arrangements have been made to allocate specific times to each of the speakers in today's debate. With the concurrence of the Senate, I shall ask the clerks to set the clock accordingly.