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

Mr Deputy President, I seek leave to move a motion that Business of the Senate order of the day No. 1, relating to the presentation of the report of the Education and Employment References Committee on the effectiveness of the national assessment program—literacy and numeracy, be postponed to a later hour.

Leave not granted.

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

by leave—Mr Deputy President, within the last 20 minutes or so, a motion that I moved to deal with Nos. 2 and 4 was amended by the opposition and the Greens so that we dealt with Business of the Senate orders of the day 1 through to 7 in order. I am just wondering why a change to that is now being sought.

Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Mr Deputy President, if I can explain: there is no intention by the opposition to upset the order of the debate. It has come to my attention at the last minute that the Education and Employment References Committee has only just met to finalise and agree the report, but the report is now able to be tabled and spoken to.

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

I am just going to take advice from the Clerk. My understanding is that we have already got a process in motion and—

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

I withdraw my motion.

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

Thank you. We did not actually get there. Leave was not granted. We will go with the order of the Senate—Nos 1 to 7. We will commence with No.1. As I highlighted this morning, amending things on the run is not a good thing.