Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I amend Government Business notices of motion No. 1 and No. 2 relating to the days of meetings for 2023 and estimates, as circulated. I move the motions as amended:

That the days of meeting of the Senate for 2023 be as follows:

Autumn sittings:

Monday, 6 February to Thursday, 9 February

Monday, 6 March to Thursday, 9 March

Monday, 20 March to Friday, 24 March

Monday, 27 March to Thursday, 30 March

Budget sittings:

Tuesday, 9 May to Thursday, 11 May

Winter sittings:

Tuesday, 13 June to Friday, 16 June

Monday, 19 June to Thursday, 22 June

Spring sittings:

Monday, 31 July to Thursday, 3 August

Monday, 7 August to Thursday, 10 August

Monday, 4 September to Thursday, 7 September

Monday, 11 September to Thursday, 14 September

Monday, 16 October to Thursday, 19 October

Monday, 6 November to Friday, 10 November

Monday, 13 November to Friday, 17 November

Monday, 27 November to Thursday, 30 November

Monday, 4 December to Thursday, 7 December

(1) That estimates hearings by legislation committees for 2023 be scheduled as follows:

202 2 -2 3 Budget estimates:

Monday, 13 February and Tuesday, 14 February (supplementary hearings—Group A)

Wednesday, 15 February and Thursday, 16 February (supplementary hearings—Group B)

2023-24 Budget estimates:

Monday, 22 May to Thursday, 25 May, and, if required, Friday, 26 May (Group A)

Tuesday, 30 May to Friday, 2 June, and, if required, Friday, 23 June (Group B)

Monday, 23 October and Tuesday, 24 October (supplementary hearings— Group A)

Wednesday, 25 October and Thursday, 26 October (supplementary hearings—Group B).

(2) That cross portfolio estimates hearings on Indigenous matters and on Murray- Darling Basin Plan matters be scheduled for Friday, 17 February, Friday, 26 May and Friday, 27 October, but not restricted to these 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 Tuesday, 27 June 2022 in respect of the 2023-24 Budget estimates.

I want to make a few remarks with leave of the Senate to explain the changes that we've made. I thank colleagues for discussing the Senate program and the estimates hearings. We have been working with senators to tweak the program that was circulated constructively, as Senator Chisholm said. The original program did not have estimates in February, as there had not been a MYEFO since the budget. The budget served as the MYEFO. The estimates hearings are being conducted, and in fact they're still under way. The next scheduled estimates would be after the budget. However, we have responded to the feedback from the Senate that they would like estimates in February. The government will agree to that. So one of the amendments is to have the week of 13 February to Friday 17 February removed as a sitting week and inserted as estimates. I would like to thank Senator Hanson-Young for discussions about how to accommodate the wishes of the Senate for an extra estimates week.

There's a further amendment which would move the June sittings up by a week and also remove the 'if required' out of that final sitting week in December. I thank colleagues for constructively engaging where they have. We've been able to respond as much as we can to get a sitting program for next year that meets everybody's needs, ensures we can get the business done and that we're responding to the wishes of the Senate for an extra estimates week.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—Imagine the Labor-Greens outrage if a coalition government had sought to axe one week of the traditional four weeks of Senate estimates. Imagine the even greater outrage if this was done, along with other unprecedented changes to the sitting schedule, without any consultation having occurred across the chamber. The outrage would have been off the Richter scale from Labor and the Greens. While we have seen in question time yesterday and today Senator Wong show a level of outrage at being questioned over the sitting schedule, I welcome this tweak, as the Manager of Government Business has described it, to the government's program. That's more than a tweak. Let me welcome this backflip and capitulation by the government to reinstate the four weeks of Senate estimates. They should never have sought to axe it. The attempt to axe a week of Senate estimates was clearly—

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order, President: why is the clock not running? Could we set a time for this, please?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you were listening, Senator Whish-Wilson, Senator Birmingham was given leave to make a few short remarks.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To wrap up. This attempt to axe a week was clearly an attempt by the government to take an axe to the conventional transparency and accountability processes and procedures of the Senate. It was extraordinary to see the Greens also play patsy to this attempt to erode Senate accountability, but I do thank all six crossbench senators for standing firm with the coalition in support of Senate conventions. I acknowledge and welcome the government's backflip and, with that, indicate the opposition will not be proceeding with the amendments circulated in my name.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a few short remarks.

Leave granted.

The Greens are happy with the amendments as circulated. We are pleased to see estimates back in in February. We are pleased to see more sitting days than there have been in this place for a very, very long time. All the last government did was cut, cut, cut. So what we've done is put, put, put them back in. That is what this sitting calendar will look like for next year. I look forward to working with everyone on all sides to make this parliament as effective as possible.

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a very short statement.

Leave granted.

I thank the government for the extra week of estimates, but I would like to draw to the attention of the government the fact that there are a number of senators in this place—12, in fact—from the great state of Western Australia, and, in moving towards a more family-friendly parliament, Fridays do cut into their weekends. I think that's something to consider. No-one's complaining about working more, but I would like that to be considered.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make two additional quick points that have come up.

Oppositio n senators interjecting—

Well, one you'll want.

Leave granted.

Thank you, colleagues; I'm sorry to do this again. The first one was a referral to the Procedure Committee for the structure of the Fridays, which Senator Ruston and others had requested. I've signed that letter, so that's done, just to let you know. So we'll have discussions about the routine of business for the day. On the second point, which was raised by Senator Pocock about Fridays, and acknowledging the issues that have been raised, Set the standard wasn't just around being family friendly; it was also around hours of work. By having an extra working day, we are hopeful that we can reduce the requirement for senators to work 16- to 20-hour days and sit extended hours, which has directly contributed to a poor workplace culture for staff, which we are trying to address.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Davey! I remind senators that this question was well ventilated at question time, to the point that the whole chamber was out of order. I'm asking for quiet now.

Question agreed to.