Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a very short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I put on record the Greens' opinion on government business notice of motion No. 1 and why we supported the suspension of standing orders. The Greens think it is reasonable to use the time during that week for Senate sittings considering that the Senate has been recalled anyway for the addresses by the heads of state. It would be a waste of taxpayers' money to sit here for two or more days, and we needed—

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You don't have to come! I wasn't going to waste taxpayers' dollars coming over here listening to them!

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order on my left! Senator Sterle!

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It would be a huge waste of taxpayers' money not to use that time, and we needed an extra day of sitting for estimates as well.

But—and I put this on record now—we will not be supporting an extra week of sitting in December that the government is hinting that it may want. We will not be supporting the government in declaring a sitting week in the week starting 8 December. We think it is reasonable to use the time in the week starting 17 November because taxpayers' money should be used wisely.