Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Hansard source

The President has received a letter from Senator Bernardi proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely:

(a)

The current dire state of the Murray Darling Basin and in particular the challenges facing the Lower Lakes communities;

(b)

The failure of the Government to deliver immediate short term relief to communities reliant on the Murray Darling Basin; and

(c)

The need for the Government to support the immediate provision of $50 million to assist the communities in the Lower Lakes and Coorong region of South Australia.

I call upon those senators who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places.

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

I understand that informal arrangements have been made to allocate specific times to each of the speakers in today’s debate. With the concurrence of the Senate, I shall ask the clerks to set the clock accordingly.