Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy President, I thought that there had been some discussions in relation to my seeking leave to lodge an amended notice of motion, as circulated with the party whips, relating to the production of certain documents.

Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I have just come in to serve as the duty minister, and I am advised that apparently the manager of government business has not seen this; my colleague Senator Stephens has advised me. My suggestion is that Senator Fierravanti-Wells come back to this at a later stage in the Senate’s proceedings. If we deal with it now it would mean that, in the circumstances I am faced with—this being communicated to me—I would not grant leave. My suggestion is to come back to it at a later stage in the proceedings, if that helps.

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

by leave—I thank Senator Faulkner for his intervention. The situation is that the document is, I believe, still over there. There was a date to be amended, and we are happy to verbally indicate that the date was just to be amended to the first sitting day of next year. The original date was tomorrow. That was the only issue for the amended version of the notice that Senator Fierravanti-Wells wished to lodge.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sure that is right, but my suggestion is to come back later—

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

We will accept that suggestion, provided that leave will be granted at a later hour to deal with the matter; that is fine by us.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am afraid I do not know very much about this. I cannot say what my colleague might do, but I can say that in the circumstances I have just been advised, my counsel would be to adopt the approach that I have suggested. That is all I can do. Otherwise I am in a position—having been advised as I have been—where I cannot grant leave. It would be much more sensible not to have the issue and to deal with it at a time when someone who is perhaps a first party, not a fifth party, to the issue can deal with it. Anyway, I am sensitive to the fact that we have a limited amount of time on the ministerial statement.