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

I seek leave to amend government business notice of motion No. 2.

Leave granted.

At the request of Senator Chisholm, I move the motion as amended:

That the days of meeting of the Senate for 2024 be as follows:

Autumn sittings:

Tuesday, 6 February to Thursday, 8 February

Monday, 26 February to Thursday, 29 February

Monday, 18 March to Thursday, 21 March

Monday, 25 March to Thursday, 28 March

Budget sittings:

Tuesday, 14 May to Thursday, 16 May

Winter sittings:

Monday, 24 June to Thursday, 27 June

Monday, 1 July to Thursday, 4 July

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

Tuesday, 8 October to Thursday, 10 October

Monday, 18 November to Thursday, 21 November

Monday, 25 November to Thursday, 28 November.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor has stuck out a draft sitting calendar for 2024 with only three sitting weeks in it before the budget. Now, embarrassingly, they've had to come into this place and add another week to the calendar, in an attempt to prevent us criticising them because of their absolute, blatant lack of transparency. For a government who were elected on a platform of transparency, they have made an art form of running away from transparency, as we saw in the last debate. This is another example of the contempt this government has for Australia. Examples include no details on the referendum, a half-baked COVID inquiry that lets their mates from the states and territories off the hook and now a calendar that avoids proper scrutiny. I quote:

… we acknowledge that the government have a very low number of sitting days for this chamber because they have lost control of it.

That was Katy Gallagher on 1 December 2021. Why don't you actually live by your own advice?

Question agreed to.