Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes the Australian Constitution was drafted at the Windsor Hotel, Melbourne, in 1898 and it housed many of Australia’s ‘founding fathers’ during the formative years of our Parliament, accommodating prime ministers, politicians, actors, performers and celebrities; and as such

(b)

recognises the national heritage significance of the Windsor Hotel.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

The Acting Deputy President:

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government recognises the heritage significance of the Windsor Hotel; however, as Senator Brown would be aware, the Australian Heritage Council assesses the values of nominated places against set criteria and makes recommendations to the minister for the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts about national heritage listing. The government supporting this motion would amount to prejudging any advice that the minister may receive from expert advisers.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

The Acting Deputy President:

Leave is granted for two minutes.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a certain empathy with Senator Arbib, because he read a prepared statement. But it became an absurdity, because he began by saying ‘the government recognises the national heritage significance of the Windsor Hotel’. The active component of the motion is to ‘recognise the national heritage significance of the Windsor Hotel.’ The government recognises the national heritage significance of the Windsor Hotel but is about to vote against a motion recognising the national heritage significance of the Windsor Hotel. How absurd that is. I ask that the government quickly review the nonsense of voting against a motion on a matter which it supports one hundred per cent.

Kerry O'Brien (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a very brief statement.

Leave granted.

The government opposes this motion. It is clear, despite the confusion, that Senator Brown has the support of the coalition as well as his own party. He therefore has a majority in the chamber and we will not call a division.

Question agreed to.