Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I inform the Senate that at 8.30 am today 28 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 letter from Senator Rice proposing a matter of urgency was chosen:

Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

"The urgent need for the Morrison Government to respect the thousands of Australians who marched in the Women's March 4 Justice yesterday, take urgent action to end gendered violence and sexual harassment, and establish an independent inquiry into the Attorney-General's fitness to hold that position."

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.