Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the proposed amendment by Senator Collins and observe that the sitting weeks that Senator Collins's amendment proposes for the week commencing 27 May and the week commencing 3 June aren't sitting weeks that would actually occur because there will be an election taking place at that time. I'll make that observation. Again, it is the convention and the practice in this place—and has been for the almost 15 years that I've been in this place—that it's the government of the day that lays out the sitting schedule. That also includes the estimates schedule for this place. I commend it to colleagues, following the regular and conventional practice in this place.