Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Hansard source

I inform the Senate that as at 8.30 am today 22 proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by me by lot. As a result, I inform the Senate that the following letter has been received from Senator Urquhart:

Pursuant to standing order 75, I propose that the following matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion:

The failure, once again, of the Morrison Government to listen to experts and prepare for disaster season, by refusing to spend a cent from their $4 billion Emergency Response Fund and refusing to commit to developing a national aerial firefighting fleet.

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.