Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move the motion standing in my name:

That the days of meeting of the Senate for 2019 be as follows:

Autumn sittings:

Tuesday, 12 February to Thursday, 14 February

Budget sittings:

Tuesday, 2 April to Thursday, 4 April

Autumn sittings (2):

Monday, 15 April to Thursday, 18 April

Winter sittings:

Monday, 13 May to Thursday, 16 May

Monday, 17 June to Thursday, 20 June

Monday, 24 June to Thursday, 27 June

Spring sittings:

Monday, 12 August to Thursday, 15 August

Monday, 19 August to Thursday, 22 August

Monday, 9 September to Thursday, 12 September

Monday, 16 September to Thursday, 19 September

Monday, 14 October to Thursday, 17 October

Monday, 11 November to Thursday, 14 November

Monday, 25 November to Thursday, 28 November

Monday, 2 December to Thursday, 5 December.

This motion seeks to put in place the sitting schedule for the Senate for next year, as is the orthodox and conventional practice in this place. The Senate sits in alignment with the House of Representatives sitting, with the exception of estimates hearings, when they occur on days that are House-only sitting days. And colleagues would obviously be aware that the budget sitting week is down to be earlier than is usually the case, for obvious reasons of which we are all aware. I commend the sitting schedule to colleagues.

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

I move the amendment to government business notice of motion No. 1 that has been circulated in the chamber:

omit:

"Budget sittings:

Tuesday, 2 April to Thursday, 4 April

Autumn sittings (2):

Monday, 15 April to Thursday, 18 April

Winter sittings:

Monday, 13 May to Thursday 16 May

Monday, 17 June to Thursday 20 June

Monday, 24 June to Thursday 27 June"

substitute:

"Budget sittings:

Tuesday, 2 April to Wednesday, 3 April

Winter sittings:

Monday, 13 May to Thursday 16 May

Tuesday, 28 May to Thursday, 30 May

Monday, 3 June to Thursday, 6 June

Monday, 17 June to Thursday 20 June

Monday, 24 June to Thursday 27 June"

This amendment seeks to omit the sitting week proposed for Monday, 15 April to Thursday, 18 April and substitute two new sitting weeks from Tuesday, 28 May to Thursday, 30 May and Monday, 3 June to Thursday, 6 June 2019. It also omits the sitting day scheduled for Thursday, 4 April 2018, essentially to mirror arrangements that were put in place in 2016 to ensure that there was some budget accountability in advance of the election on that occasion.

The amendment works in tandem with the opposition's proposed amendment to government business notice of motion No. 2 relating to the scheduling of estimates hearings. We did seek for the government to progress this matter at this stage, given that we're addressing both issues, but at this point, unfortunately, the government will still proceed with that matter at formal business, where we will deny formality, and it will be debated later in the day—just so senators understand the process.

As I said, this particular amendment to the sitting schedule works in tandem with the opposition's proposed amendment to government business notice of motion No. 2 relating to the scheduling of estimates hearings. That amendment proposes two days of budget estimates hearings in budget week followed by two weeks of budget estimates hearings in the fortnight immediately following the budget. The opposition regrets that it takes this step to move amendments to the sitting calendar.

As Senator Fifield said, the orthodox and conventional approach is for the government of the day to determine their sitting calendar. We recognise the right of the government of the day to propose such. However, this government has abused this right by manipulating the sitting calendar to suit its timetable for an election, and it is clearly ducking for cover. It is not acceptable that there will be an unprecedented eight-week gap—think of that, senators—between the date on which the budget will be delivered and the start of budget estimates. This government has brought forward the budget week but it's put back any accountability of such budget. In fact, there's a possibility that the appropriation bills may even pass before the proposed commencement of budget estimates, defeating the point of the process entirely—some might say defeating the point of the Senate entirely.

The opposition will be moving to shift the budget estimates hearings to where they belong: right after the budget. Accordingly, we've moved this amendment to the motion proposing the ordinary sitting days for 2019 in order to facilitate that change, which will be made by a separate amendment to the later motion. At this stage, I'd also like to assure the leaders of non-government parties and Independent senators that the opposition will work with them to facilitate time for those senators to make their budget reply, another very important element of Senate activity with respect to a government budget. We will facilitate budget reply speeches in budget week, as would ordinarily be the case. I commend the amendment to the Senate.

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak to the proposed amendment by Senator Collins and observe that the sitting weeks that Senator Collins's amendment proposes for the week commencing 27 May and the week commencing 3 June aren't sitting weeks that would actually occur because there will be an election taking place at that time. I'll make that observation. Again, it is the convention and the practice in this place—and has been for the almost 15 years that I've been in this place—that it's the government of the day that lays out the sitting schedule. That also includes the estimates schedule for this place. I commend it to colleagues, following the regular and conventional practice in this place.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment moved by Senator Collins be agreed to.

Original question, as amended, agreed to.