Stephen Parry (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bilyk. I was very happy for her to continue and take up some of my time in this adjournment debate on such a very sensitive and important issue. I commend Senator Bilyk for sharing that with us. Sometimes it is not easy to do that, and we thank Senator Bilyk for being so open and honest about her own personal plight, her illness and—obviously—her great recovery. It is good to see that happen. Just on a personal note, my mother-in-law, who was 66 years of age, died last year of a brain tumour which was of very sudden onset, and it was a very sudden death, so I do have some understanding and a lot of sympathy for that.

I want to correct a matter from earlier today when Senator Feeney gave his contribution to our general business item. Senator Feeney indicated in his speech that we were wasting government time by having this debate on something as important as national security and, in particular, border security. For Senator Feeney, and for senators and those members of the public who may have been following the debate, the time on a Thursday afternoon is for the opposition. The opposition occupy time of the Senate which is for general business, and the general business item that we debated was not the government’s time; it was our time.

I suppose, Senator Feeney—and I would be very happy for him to come and apologise at some stage—we also gave up one hour of our general business time today, one entire hour that the opposition could have had, for the purposes of facilitating, not out of government time but out of opposition time, valedictory speeches for the Clerk of the Senate, Mr Harry Evans. I just feel that it is important to put the accurate record into the Hansard when erroneous statements like that are made during a debate, which do not reflect the true spirit of what actually happens and how the opposition cooperates and facilitates some of the government program—especially when we give up one hour of our time. I will make sure that Senator Feeney gets a copy of this Hansard, and I would be very keen to see a response at some stage in the future.