Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I understand that the government, having now finished what was not a particularly controversial piece of legislation, is proposing to move to the address-in-reply. Can I indicate to the crossbench that the reason the government has no legislation to present to us is that it is engaged in a political stoush in the House of Representatives because it wants to bring on the abolition of the Building Australia Fund. In these circumstances we don't think the Senate should be hanging around, so I seek leave to move that the Senate do now adjourn.

Leave not granted.

We can either have a short—

Senator Ruston interjecting—

I'll take that interjection by Senator Ruston. I'm not proposing to discuss with you when your Prime Minister, so-called, is in the House of Representatives negating the adjournment because he wants a political wedge, and therefore you have no legislation in the Senate. It's ridiculous. I can either move to suspend standing orders, or we can seek leave to have a number of short statements to deal with this issue. What would you like to do, Senator Ruston?