Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Green, I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 6 December 2024:

Right wing extremist movements in Australia, with particular reference to:

(a) the nature and extent of movements and persons holding extremist right wing views in Australia, with a particular focus on:

(i) the threat posed by extremist movements, including right wing extremism,

(ii) the motivations, objectives and capacity for violence of extremist groups and individuals holding such views,

(iii) links between individuals and groups with international movements,

(iv) how individuals progress to committing acts of violence, and

(v) the role of the online environment in promoting extremism;

(b) the terms and operation of the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Prohibited Hate Symbols and Other Measures) Bill 2023;

(c) measures to counter violent extremism in Australia, with particular focus on young people; and

(d) any other related matters.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move to amend the motion as follows:

Omit "Right wing extremist movements in Australia", substitute "Ideologically motivated and religiously motived violent extremism".

Paragraph (a), omit "extremist right wing views", substitute "violently extremist views".

Omit paragraph (a)(i), substitute:

(i) the threat posed by ideologically motivated violent extremism and religiously motivated violent extremism,

I seek leave to make a short statement, for no more than one minute, before the question on my amendment is put.

Leave not granted.

I seek leave to table my statement.

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

Maybe, if you show the whips.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Pursuant to contingent notice of motion standing in the name of Senator Birmingham, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me making a statement.

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

I'll get some advice from the clerk, Senator McGrath. Just so we're all clear in the chamber: you were granted leave to put the amendment, and then you sought leave to make a one-minute statement. Leave wasn't given. Because we're in formal motions, there's no opportunity to speak, so we will put the suspension. Senator Birmingham?

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

I have a point of order on two matters, Madam President. One is perhaps to try to help the Senate. My understanding is that convention has been that where an amendment is moved a senator is granted leave to make a short, one-minute statement in relation to the amendment. So I'd encourage the government to reconsider that.

In relation to the motion Senator McGrath just moved, he had sought leave to make a one-minute statement. Being denied that, and on the basis of that, he used contingent notice standing in my name to suspend standing orders so as to enable him to make the one-minute statement.

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

Yes, and what I explained to the chamber, Senator Birmingham, as you'll recall, is that during formal motions, which is where we're up to, there's no opportunity to speak to a suspension. So you can suspend, but then we immediately put the suspension question. I understand there is no leave given to make a one-minute statement. Senator McGrath, you've moved a suspension. Senator Urquhart?

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm just trying to clarify what contingency notice we are actually talking about.

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

When Senator Birmingham stood on his point of order, he explained—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order across the chamber! Senator Birmingham explained that it was his contingency notice which was being used to enable Senator McGrath to suspend because he'd been denied leave around the one-minute statement. So the question is that the suspension motion, as moved by Senator McGrath, be agreed to.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a one-minute statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Unless it's amended, I will not be supporting this motion. Senator Green has decided to finish the year with a motion about extremism, notably only right-wing. Does her omission of the opera house Hamas rally that called for Jews to be gassed mean the senator is endorsing that call? Does her omission of environmental extremism that terrorised a female executive in her home mean the senator is endorsing that? Apparently so.

All terrorism is to be denounced. One Nation denounces the National Socialist party, the Nazis, who killed an estimated 20 million people. One Nation denounces communist Soviet Russia and the Stalin regime that killed an estimated 40 million people. We denounce communist China's Chairman Mao, who killed 60 million people. We denounce Maurice Strong, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, whose unscientific ban on DDT caused the unnecessary deaths of 60 million people from malaria between 1976 and 2006. In this place terrorism and extremism should be dealt with in a bipartisan way.

Ralph Babet (Victoria, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short, one-minute, statement as well.

Leave not granted.

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

The question is that the amendment as moved by Senator McGrath to business of the Senate notice of motion No. 4 be agreed to.