Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a very short statement, less than 30 seconds.

Leave granted.

I would just indicate—I anticipated getting a question from the opposition but did not, so I was not able to put this on the public record—that the Acting Prime Minister in the other house has indicated that the government and opposition have met in relation to amendments to the bill that is currently before the chamber. I would indicate that there are six amendments and that the government have indicated that we agree in principle and are working with the opposition to establish the precise amendments that will be put here. The basis on which this is being done is that this bill must be resolved immediately, and the intention is to request that the Senate pass the bill this afternoon. I thought it would be useful to put that on the record in the chamber at question time. I thank the Senate.