Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion to vary the hours of meeting and routine of business for today.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order on both sides! Senator Abetz has sought leave to move a motion. Is leave granted?

Leave not granted.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pursuant to contingent notice, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion to vary the hours of meeting and routine of business for today.

The Australian people rightly expect the Senate to deal—

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, please resume your seat. On both sides, it is no use arguing across the chamber.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian people rightly expect the Senate to deal with the urgent legislation before us. The ALP-Greens tactic of stalling, spoiling and outright sabotaging the government's legislative agenda is an abuse, the likes of which this chamber has not previously witnessed. The legislation the government seeks to have passed on behalf of the Australian people is legislation for which the Australian people voted: repeal of the job-destroying and household-budget-blowing carbon tax, a carbon tax that is killing the manufacturing sector of this country and blowing a $550 hole in household budgets. We also seek the repeal of the mining tax, which is stifling investment and jobs growth. With today's announcement that unemployment is at 5.8 per cent, the need to implement the coalition plan to reboot the economy and clean up Labor's mess is more urgent than ever. Vital legislation for which we have a mandate, like for the ABCC and the Registered Organisations Commission, is being deferred to committees that do not even deal with legislation by the ALP-Greens alliance, to dates well into next year, such is their sabotage.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Abetz, you should resume your seat, because you are entitled to be heard in silence—on both sides. Senator Abetz.

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The carbon tax, which is so bad that Labor promised we would not have one in 2010 and so bad that they said they would abolish it in 2013, is being kept alive by that very same Labor Party's tactics in this chamber. Those opposite know that Mr Rudd and Mr Marles were right—that the right thing to do is to repeal the carbon tax. But they cannot acknowledge the will of the Australian people. For this chamber to break for Christmas without resolving vital legislation, which includes budget savings to staunch the haemorrhaging budget we inherited from Labor—savings that we bravely and honestly put to the Australian people before the election and which the people of Australia voted for. And do you know why they voted for it? Because they knew $732 million would need to be borrowed from overseas which the next generation would need to pay back, with interest. That is why they voted for us. Here we have Labor stifling, stalling and sabotaging our savings measures, some of which they themselves put forward during the last election. The savings measures are vital. The Labor-Greens games in this place are the metaphorical middle-finger salute to the Australian people and to Australian democracy. Let us be perfectly clear—

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do not mention Holden, whatever you do! Waste time so we do not have to talk about Holden! Seriously!

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have heard some of the interjections from the other side. I can indicate that we will have a full one hour of question time, and you can ask every question you like in relation to the situation at Holden. But it is vital that this legislation be passed. So let us be very clear: every single measure on which we seek the Senate's concurrence—and, if not concurrence, then at least a vote—was fully and clearly articulated by us well before the election. Indeed, the Greens campaigned against all these measures and their vote collapsed by one third. The Labor Party campaigned against these measures and were defeated, despite the fact that they actually did support some of these measures—including the abolition of the carbon tax. So, bizarrely, the Labor Party that actually supported some of these measures is now using the tactics of spoiling, stalling and sabotaging to ensure that the policies they took to the election will not be passed and carried or determined by this chamber.

The Australian people have a right to expect that the very clear policies of a government should be considered and, as a minimum, voted on by this Senate. We say to those opposite: we will sit here until Christmas to have these matters determined because they are so vitally important and so vital for the national interest—issues on which we campaigned and won. (Time expired)

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is the extent to which this government does not want to talk about loss of workers' jobs. This is the extent to which this government will go to avoid facing up to the sabotaging of Holden that has occurred under this government. This is question time, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate. This is question time—when the government of the day answers questions from the opposition and from the crossbenchers about important issues. It is a day after thousands of workers and their families in this country faced the extraordinarily sad prospect of not being employed in safe and secure jobs in which they had been employed for years, and what does this government want to do? It wants to pull a stunt in question time so they can change the subject. Well, I tell you what: workers and their families across this country are alive to you. They know what you are doing. They know you do not want to come in here and face the music. They know you do not want to come in here and answer questions such as these. You do not want to come in here and answer questions about the $500 million that you took out of the car industry prior to 2015. You do not want to come in here and answer questions—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Honourable senators interjecting—

Bill Heffernan (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Wait, Senator Heffernan. I will not give you the call when there is shouting across the chamber. It is disorderly. When there is quiet I will give you the call. Order!

Bill Heffernan (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. My understanding is that question time for an hour follows this debate, so the leader is misleading the parliament.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! That is not a point of order. That is a debating point, Senator Heffernan.

Bill Heffernan (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Question time follows this debate.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! As I did for Senator Abetz, I am asking for silence on both sides.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reality is: this government sought, when it comes to the car industry, to not only take $500 million out between now and 2015 but provide it with nothing other than uncertainty beyond 2015. In this last week we have seen in this parliament this government sabotaging Holden through the leaking of senior economic ministers, followed by the Treasurer of the country goading Holden and daring them to make a decision, and the Acting Prime Minister demanding that they make a decision ahead of your review. As to why you are doing this today, let everyone be clear: this is a stunt to change the subject. We know that if you had been really serious about managing this debate properly, you would have done so. But you did not. You have mismanaged your program. And instead of Senator Abetz reflecting on the way in which he and the government have managed their program, he comes in here instead to undertake a stunt, to try and show, presumably to the Prime Minister's office and other people: 'No, we are really trying to get it through. We really are.' I think the example was when we had one of their own senators, Senator Macdonald, taking up government business time to move an amendment to one of their own committees and using the debating time to have a go at the Prime Minister's office. Do not come in here and tell us that you have managed your program well. We know what has happened in here. You have mismanaged the program—

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Those on my left: Senator Wong is entitled to be heard in silence. Order!

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The facts are: this is nothing more than a stunt to try and have Senator Abetz demonstrate to the powers that be in the Prime Minister's office that he is really trying to do what they asked him to do because, frankly, the way they have managed the chamber, the way they have managed the debate, the way they have failed to manage the contributions by their own senators has meant they are now in a position where they want to put in place a gag and a guillotine. That is what they do. They want to put in place a guillotine. They want to manage debate so there is not proper debate.

Senator Abetz interjecting—

Senator Fifield interjecting—

Can I make these points.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Others wishing to participate in the debate may do so.

Senator Abetz interjecting—

Order! Senator Wong, continue.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think Senator Abetz's own comments might be useful here. In March 2013 he said:

Can I repeat—repeat—and say very, very strongly on behalf of the opposition that we oppose any further adjourning of the Senate, because we believe these issues need to be ventilated, and ventilated fully.

He goes on to say:

They are treating this chamber in a most shameful manner.

We have a situation where, with virtually no notice, the Manager of Government Business moves to change the sitting hours—

…   …   …   

… when it comes to the management of this place the safest and most respectful pair of hands to manage the Senate is not the Green-Labor alliance … we actually do respect this place.

We know that what is happening on that side is a government that has mismanaged its program and does not want to talk about Holden workers. (Time expired)

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to say that the Greens will not be supporting this motion from Senator Abetz. It has been a stellar performance from Senator Abetz but it is very clear to me that, if the Greens and Labor had suddenly supported this, the blood would have drained out of the faces of the government because they have all got their tickets booked. They are already on planes. They have mentally left this place already, and they would just freak out beyond all measure. We all know that.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Milne, resume your seat. If honourable members wish to debate this, then they are invited to speak in the debate and not across the chamber in a disorderly manner. Order!

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Any journalist who had been watching this morning would have seen the cases rolling into the offices. They are packed and they are ready to go, and in fact it would be great to see if a journalist could go around and see on what date they are all leaving for their holidays. Let me tell you, all this talk about sitting for Christmas or sitting for the new year is no more than a performance.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Milne, resume your seat. Order! Honourable senators are doing themselves no justice by calling across the chamber in a disorderly manner—on both sides. Order!

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not only are we saving the government from themselves in this ridiculous performance, but the other thing we are doing is saving the Australian community from the fact that they want to repeal the mining tax to give their big mates in business a big Christmas present by not having to pay the mining tax. I am sure a lot of Australians will be very pleased that big business, the big end of town, has not been let off the hook.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Milne, resume your seat. Senator Milne, continue.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, we are saving the government from itself. Senator Abetz spoke about worrying about savings measures. Well, we are interested in revenue measures. We think it is appropriate that people actually pay their way in this country, and the big end of town do not want to pay their way. They cannot wait. They want you to sit here to get rid of the mining tax so they can maximise their fortunes. No doubt Gina Rinehart and others are on the phone saying, 'Come on; sit there until you get rid of the mining tax so that we can maximise our profits.' I can tell you, Mr President, there are a lot of people around the country who do not want to see the mining tax go, because they believe that the big end of town should pay their way in this country, and we intend to make sure that they do. In fact, we should be raising the mining tax, not actually getting rid of it. We need to have the revenue. We have got a revenue crisis in this country—and that is what we should be addressing.

Government senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Milne, resume your seat. Order! Senator Milne, continue.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens are not going to stand by and see this game being played. We know it for what it is. In fact it is a waste of the Senate's time. It is half an hour that you could be spending on the business of the Senate or half an hour bringing on an urgency debate about the big issue of Holden closing down in this country and the future of manufacturing. That would have been a useful thing to do for half an hour of the Senate's time, not half an hour of this fake and false debate, as I said, just covering up for the fact that we know that the ministers' officers are all ready to go and leave here the minute that the Senate finishes. So we will not be supporting this motion. We think they should be talking about the things the country wants to talk about, and that is how we future-proof the nation for these manufacturing industries leaving us.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Australian Labor Party were not in such deep denial about the result of the election not 14 weeks ago, then the carbon tax would be gone by Christmas.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Brandis, resume your seat. Order on my left!

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me say it again: the carbon tax would be gone by Christmas if the Labor Party were not in denial about the result of an election that took place not 14 weeks ago.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Brandis, resume your seat. Order on my left! Order!

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If the Australian Labor Party were prepared to honour the promises that they themselves took to the election not 14 weeks ago, the carbon tax would be gone by Christmas. Let it never be forgotten that the Labor Party tried to deceive the Australian people at the recent election and actually said, 'One of our promises is to repeal the carbon tax.' We have seen the flyer that Senator Louise Pratt distributed in Western Australia announcing, 'We have repealed the carbon tax.' This is not just the policy that we took to the last election; it is the policy that the Australian Labor Party represented that they were taking to the last election.

Lastly, if the Australian Labor Party and their Greens allies were prepared to do the work that the Australian people sent them to Canberra to do, then the carbon tax would be gone by Christmas and every Australian family would be, on average, $550 a year better off and electricity prices would begin to fall. I think the Australian public would be appalled to learn that it is just too hard for those opposite, the Labor Party and the Greens, to do one more week's work in Canberra before they go on Christmas holidays.

Let me remind you, Mr President, that this parliament adjourned at the end of June this year, and since we adjourned this is only the 10th day on which the Senate has sat to consider public business. We might ask ourselves: why is that? Because there was a political coup on the other side of the parliament. There was a leadership change that instated a new Prime Minister, Mr Rudd, and then there was a long election campaign and a change of government. If the Labor Party and the Greens get their way, we are going to adjourn today after only 10 days in the second half of 2013, and we will not be back for another nine weeks. Yet it is too hard for the Labor Party to sit.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are lazy bastards!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cormann, you need to withdraw that.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It will help the conduct of this debate if senators on both sides refrain from calling across the chamber.

Jacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first day of parliament was still a sitting day, you dill!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you wish to debate it, there is time in this debate still remaining. You are entitled to be heard in silence, Senator Brandis.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I heard Senator Collins's interjection. In fact, the first day was a day for ceremonial business. I said, 'to deal with public business and deliberation'. This is the 10th day on which this chamber has debated in the whole second half of 2013, but it is too hard for those opposite to give the government the opportunity to do what—

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brandis, resume your seat. When there is silence on my left and my right we will proceed.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Everybody in this chamber knows that for nearly three years, since the former Prime Minister Ms Julia Gillard broke her promise not to introduce a carbon tax, we on our side of politics said, 'We will make the next election a referendum on the carbon tax.' That was the central issue in Australian politics for all of the last three years, and nobody can be in any doubt that, when we won the 2013 election, we won it on a promise, supported by the Australian people, to repeal the carbon tax.

As the first order of business, we introduced legislation to repeal the carbon tax. Now, on the 10th day on which this Senate has sat since the end of June this year, all the Australian Labor Party and their Green allies want to do is to go home, stop working and prevent the government doing what the people gave us a mandate to do—to repeal the carbon tax and to repeal the mining tax. You have contempt for the Australian public. You have contempt for the result of the election. You have contempt for your own role as legislators. Why don't you get out of the way and give the people what they voted for?

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is time left in the debate. Senator Fifield, you have the call.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What?

An opposition senator: We jumped!

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No-one jumped.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! On my right and on my left, order! When there is silence, we will proceed. I looked to my left and I looked to my right. I saw no-one jump. There is time for two more speakers in the debate—two lots of five minutes. Senator Fifield.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I doubt that there has ever been a more clear and more explicit commitment by a party going into an election than that of the coalition before the last poll in promising to repeal the carbon tax. I doubt that there has ever been an election commitment that has been more oft repeated by an Australian political party than the coalition's commitment to repeal the carbon tax. What we have seen from those opposite, for as long as this parliament has been sitting since the election, has been delay, delay, delay—and that delay has had only one purpose, and that has been to seek to subvert the will of the Australian people as expressed at the last election.

We are not seeking in this motion to gag. We are not seeking to guillotine. We are seeking to afford the Australian people the opportunity for their parliament to give effect to their will. The contrast could not be greater with those on the other side. We saw those opposite in the last parliament use the gag and use the guillotine on legislation that actually sought to breach a solemn election commitment—it sought to breach the commitment given by Prime Minister Gillard to the Australian people that there would be no carbon tax under a government that she led. The former government sought to gag and guillotine debate on legislation that sought to breach an election commitment. We are doing the exact opposite. We are seeking to extend the period for debate in order to see an election commitment given effect to in the form of the legislation before this chamber. I say again, we are not proposing a gag and we are not proposing a guillotine. Those opposite, in the last session of the last parliament, guillotined 55 bills. We are seeking to afford the opportunity for an election commitment to be given effect to. What we are proposing is that this chamber sit until the job is done.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What time is your flight, Mitch?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's tomorrow afternoon.

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Senator Fifield is entitled to be heard in silence.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know those opposite find it so hard to break the habit of a lifetime. They only know how to work to rule. They are not prepared to sit longer. They are not prepared to work harder. We are prepared to stay until the job is done.

Opposition senators interjecting—

Quite frankly, you should have got the message from the Australian people at the last election. You should not be standing in the way.

Opposition senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Senator Fifield is entitled to be heard in silence.

Government senators interjecting—

Order on my right! Senator Fifield is entitled to be heard in silence.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite should not stand in the way of the will of the Australian people being given effect to. We want to stay here until the work is done. Those opposite have used every procedure to delay debate. They have split the package of bills into 11 separate entities. We are barely halfway through consideration of the second piece of legislation.

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! For others wishing to participate in the debate there is an opportunity after Senator Fifield has finished.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are barely through the third piece of legislation in the carbon tax package. Those opposite need to get out of the way. They need to afford this chamber the opportunity to do its job. We are not proposing that question time be dispensed with—far from it. Our motion is very deliberately and very specifically worded so that if the carbon tax legislation and other important legislation is not dealt with by eight o'clock—which we know it will not be—the parliament continues to sit. Question time will still happen. That important accountability mechanism will still be in place. All we are seeking to do is afford the Australian people the opportunity to have their will expressed in this place through having the legislation put to a vote. Now we know those opposite have indicated they will vote against every piece of legislation in the carbon tax repeal package. We know they have said that, but they need to do two things. They need to allow the parliament to continue to sit so that the legislation can be put through all stages. But they need to do something more than that: they need to change their minds and they need to get out of the way and they need to allow that legislation to be passed. Those opposite do have an opportunity to reconsider, and that opportunity is very shortly when they can support this suspension motion and when they can then vote for the subsequent motion that would allow the parliament to continue to sit. They should do so. (Time expired)

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are now seeing the government operating in a calm—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I ask that the exact same courtesy be extended to Senator Moore as I have asked for for other senators. Wait a minute, Senator Moore. You will get the call when there is silence.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are now seeing the government operating in a calm, reasonable, adult way! We had the dress rehearsal for this motion yesterday. I should not have been surprised when it seemed to move through with just a vote by the parliament to give this chamber a chance to consider the motion, followed by an opportunity for an exchange of one-minute statements. I was surprised, and thought that the government had given the chamber the chance to decide which way we would go on this motion. But, no, that happened yesterday. We come back in today and the exact same motion is put up before us this afternoon; the same intent of the motion came through this afternoon. My response is the same.

As we said on this side, the sitting pattern is determined by the government. When we agreed to that sitting pattern, we said that we would not be agreeing to requests for extensions of hours except in exceptional circumstances. Since we had that discussion, there has been no approach by the government putting their reasons to us about what they need to look at, explaining why things are so urgent or saying what they want to have done. That has not occurred. In fact, the attempts to talk about the schedule have been made by me when I have gone to see the Manager of Government Business in the Senate to look at what is happening. But, no, we have not had any discussions about the process they want to follow.

Senator Brandis talking about the lack of sitting days in this sitting pattern is surprising at best. We heard from senators earlier that we had the election a mere 14 weeks ago. The election happened; the result was known. People wanted to know when were we going to sit, when were we going to come back to Canberra to begin this session. We did not hear from the government; a discussion did not occur. In fact, the only time allowed for the Senate in this sitting pattern was three weeks, and one week of estimates. The government decided that sitting pattern. We have worked with that sitting pattern. We had a whole week of sitting last week and again, in a calm and reasonable and adult way, the government did not put before us the urgency they had.

As I said yesterday, the Senate considers each piece of legislation that comes before it. We look at the legislation. Every senator in this place has the right to consider the legislation and take part in the debate. So many times in the last parliament we sat and listened to every single member of the then opposition make the same speech over and over again—in fact, all of us on this side knew the content of that speech and we could have said it over and over again—but every senator had the chance to take part in the debate.

The sitting pattern is determined by the government. The government has the right to organise the business of the sitting pattern. We have gone through the debate as presented to us. We had the offer yesterday for a change of hours. That was voted on by this chamber, and it was defeated. Today we have the same proposal to sit beyond eight o'clock to fulfil all of the bills listed by the government. This had not been taken to us before it was moved. We do not think that is adult, we do not believe it is reasonable and we certainly do not believe it is calm management of this chamber.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In that case we'll do it again in five minutes and you can agree!

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fifield, it is the right of the government to bring that forward in your calm, reasonable and adult way. And then this chamber will look at the proposal and see what we need.

We are going through the schedule we have in front of us; we will continue to work with that. This morning, when there was another chance for the government to bring forward an hours motion, it did not happen. It was not put on the red to say this was going to happen today. What has happened instead is we have been going through the red and when we came in for question time, instead of moving into question time, we have been hit with another attempt to change the hours. Mr President, that is not the way business is done in this place. And then to turn around and accuse people across the chamber and say that senators in this place are lazy and are not taking their job seriously is but a pretence and does not reflect well on any member of this chamber. (Time expired)

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by Senator Abetz be agreed to.