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

Senators, I want to make a statement in relation to a review I was asked to undertake yesterday. I was asked to review the Hansard of the debate from yesterday's first urgency motion. Having done so, I wanted to make two points about the mechanisms that support orderly and respectful debate in the Senate. First, I remind all senators that it is not in order to impute improper motives to other senators in relation to their reasons for presenting motions or bills to the Senate or in relation to their reasons for supporting or not supporting motions or bills. Having said that, I do not consider that senators are in breach of this rule if they are making the point that a proposal aligns with a particular political view. As President Ryan noted in a statement to the Senate on 14 November 2019, 'Consequences can be attributed to policy or views without ascribing a particular motivation to those with opposing views or priorities.' Odgers' Australian Senate Practice identifies the rationale for the rules of debate. They are designed to ensure that debate is conducted in the privileged forum of parliament without personally offensive language. We all have a role in upholding that standard.

May I also remind colleagues to address their remarks to the chair and not directly to other senators. This practice acknowledges the role of the chair in maintaining order and is also intended to guard against any tendency to lapse into unparliamentary language. While the Senate is rightfully a place for robust debate, these rules provide the foundation for that debate to be conducted in a respectful manner. They are particularly important when we are dealing with complex and sensitive topics. I thank the Senate.