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. 1 by omitting the Governor-General Amendment (Salary) Bill 2024 from paragraph (2)(a).

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That—

(1) On Tuesday, 25 June 2024:

(a) the questions on all remaining stages of the following bills be put at 6 pm:

Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2023-2024Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2023-2024

Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2024-2025

Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2024-2025

Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2024-2025;

(b) paragraph (a) operate as a limitation of debate under standing order 142;

(c) following the consideration of the bills, a message from the House of Representatives concerning the Treasury Laws Amendment (Support for Small Business and Charities and Other Measures) Bill 2023 be reported, and:

(i) a minister may move immediately—That the Senate does not further insist on its amendments to which the House of Representatives has insisted on disagreeing, and

(ii) the question on that motion then be put immediately without amendment or debate;

(d) at the conclusion of the consideration of the message the routine of business be the consideration of the Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024 (second reading speeches only);

(e) divisions may take place after 6.30 pm for the purposes of the matters listed in paragraphs (a) and (c) only; and

(f) the Senate adjourn without debate at the conclusion of the second reading debate or on the motion of a minister, whichever is earlier.

(2) On Wednesday, 26 June 2024:

(a) the questions on all remaining stages of the following bill be put at midday:

Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024;

(b) paragraph (a) operate as a limitation of debate under standing order 142; and

(c) divisions may take place between 12.15 pm and 1.30 pm until consideration of the bills has concluded.

This motion sets up very important time management for the next couple of days. The appropriation bills are included, and those budget bills need to pass today, which is why the motion has been drafted to allow those bills to be dealt with later this afternoon, along with the Treasury Laws Amendment (Support for Small Business and Charities and Other Measures) Bill. The motion also allows for debate on the vaping reforms, through the Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024. We understand that there is a lot of interest in this bill and that a lot of senators are wanting to contribute to this bill. This is the best way to allow for more time for second readers to occur tonight. It would set it up so that the second reading debate would continue until there are no further speakers wanting to contribute. The committee stage of the bill would be dealt with tomorrow.

The amendment allows the Governor-General Amendment (Salary) Bill 2024 to be dealt with separately. We will list that separately. It does need to pass this week, and I understand from my discussions across the chamber that there are senators who would like to contribute to that debate. If it were part of this motion, it may be that we would reach time on the contributions being made on vaping and that there wouldn't be time for contributions on the Governor-General bill. That's why we have moved the amended motion. I hope that the Senate is able to support this to allow fulsome debate on important legislation.

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

I'll be brief as per my commitment to the Manager of Government Business. I thank her for not moving the customary guillotines on these things. It's tempting to rail against another Labor-Greens guillotine bill, but simply let the statistics show the add-on of guillotines of bills that Labor and the Greens hypocritically continue to pile on in this place. I particularly want to highlight to the Senate—particularly to the Greens and the crossbench as they negotiate with the government in relation to these matters—the continued erosion of opportunities for senators to make free contributions in this place in the way in which these guillotine motions are being structured.

On this side, we would much rather see significant, additional time provided for matters, as occurred more frequently in the past, where the Senate would sit later hours, longer hours and extra days to progress bills through. It's not to say that guillotines didn't occur, but certainly there were far more opportunities. This guillotine, whilst providing extra time for second reading speakers tonight, does so at the expense of the open ended adjournment debate on a Tuesday night, which is all too routinely being knocked out. This guillotine also removes statements by senators from consideration tomorrow.

The point I make to the government, to the Greens and to others on the crossbench who sign up to these guillotine motions is that it is eroding the capacity of individual senators, particularly senators on the crossbench and especially senators on the backbenches of both sides, to make free and open contributions on matters that may not otherwise be structured. President, I implore and urge the government and others to consider that, in terms of time management, this could have been done last night. That would not have removed the open ended adjournment and would not have impacted upon senators who are here on Tuesday. They would have planned their opportunity this week to raise important matters for their constituency and related to their committee work in a range of other ways.

Sorry, Senator Ayres. You may not care, but there are actually senators, diligent ones, on your side who I know like to use the adjournment contribution, as there are on our side and on the crossbench. We urge respect for that, rather than the continued erosion of those opportunities.

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

The question is that the motion, as moved and amended by Minister Gallagher, be agreed to.