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

I seek leave to amend government business notice of motion No. 2 standing in my name.

Leave granted.

I amend the notice by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:

(2A) That cross portfolio estimates hearings on Murray-Darling Basin Plan matters be scheduled for Friday, 2 March, Friday, 25 May and Friday, 26 October 2018, but not restricted to those days.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition will be supporting this motion as amended by the government, but we would also like to indicate that, because of the changes that are required for the May budget estimates sittings—pushing them to Tuesday to Thursday, because of a public holiday—the spillover day would be lost under that arrangement, so we've had some last-minute discussions with the Manager of Government Business in the Senate about ensuring there is an agreed day. Our recommendation, subject to government consideration, is for 22 June to be specifically designated as the spillover day that would be lost under this motion as drafted.

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

I move the motion as amended:

(1) That estimates hearings by legislation committees for 2018 be scheduled as follows:

2017-18 additional estimates:

Monday, 26 February and Tuesday, 27 February (Group A)

Wednesday, 28 February and Thursday, 1 March (Group B).

2018-19 Budget estimates:

Monday, 21 May to Thursday, 24 May, and, if required, Friday, 25 May (Group A)

Tuesday, 29 May to Friday, 1 June (GroupB)

Monday, 22 October and Tuesday, 23 October (supplementary hearings—Group A)

Wednesday, 24 October and Thursday, 25 October (supplementary hearings—GroupB).

(2) That pursuant to the order of the Senate of 26 August 2008, cross portfolio estimates hearings on Indigenous matters be scheduled for Friday, 2 March, Friday, 25 May and Friday, 26 October, but not restricted to these days.

(2A) That cross portfolio estimates hearings on Murray-Darling Basin Plan matters be scheduled for Friday, 2 March, Friday, 25 May and Friday, 26 October 2018, but not restricted to those days.

(3) That the committees consider the proposed expenditure in accordance with the allocation of departments and agencies to committees agreed to by the Senate.

(4) That committees meet in the following groups:

Group A:

Environment and Communications

Finance and Public Administration

Legal and Constitutional Affairs

Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport

Group B:

Community Affairs

Economics

Education and Employment

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.

(5) That the committees report to the Senate on the following dates:

(a) Tuesday, 27 March 2018 in respect of the 2017-18 additional estimates; and

(b) Tuesday, 26 June 2018 in respect of the 2018-19 Budget estimates.

I indicate that the two managers have had a discussion just before question time, recognising the loss of the spillover day because of the particular situation with public holidays and how estimates is scheduled. We are happy to look at Friday, 22 June, and to have a subsequent motion to address the spillover day, recognising that there may be reasons—I'm not predicting that there will be—why it couldn't be that particular day. I'm not aware of any, but we'll have those discussions, and our objective is to aim for Friday, 22 June.

Question agreed to.