Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the days of meeting of the Senate for the remainder of 2016 be as follows:

Spring sittings:

Thursday, 1 September

Monday, 12 September to Thursday, 15 September

Spring sittings (2):

Monday, 10 October to Thursday, 13 October

Spring sittings (3):

Monday, 7 November to Thursday, 10 November

Monday, 21 November to Thursday, 24 November

Monday, 28 November to Thursday, 1 December.

Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Greens will support this motion, but we would just like to, once again, express our disappointment that, when it comes to the scheduling of parliamentary sitting weeks, we are again seeing a sitting week scheduled during the school holiday period in South Australia. There has been a long tradition in this place that we avoid scheduling sitting weeks during the school holiday periods. It is really important. It is a tough gig. It is tough on families. It is tough on those people in this chamber who have children. One of the conventions that has quite rightly evolved in the parliament is to ensure that we do not schedule sitting weeks during the school holiday periods. I would just, once again, like to reaffirm our commitment to that convention and that, when the scheduling for the parliament next year is being developed, there is a very keen eye applied to the school holiday periods for those many people in this place, especially women, who have to juggle these commitments. I think it is really critical that we ensure that this environment is as accommodating as possible to those families who often struggle to balance the competing commitments that we have as parliamentarians and also as parents.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I just inquire, in the course of this debate, whether there is a schedule that the senator has that would accommodate what he is talking about. My understanding is that the school holidays are all over the shop right across Australia. I am simply asking the question: is there a proposal that you had put to the manager on the days of sitting?

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

I will just take that as a speech, Senator Macdonald, but I think Senator Di Natale heard that.

Question agreed to.