Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to you, Mr President. President, we have heard the Labor view that this chamber is less important than the House. Today the Clerk of the House has attacked the constitutionality of the pensions bill which passed the Senate last night. With force of superior argument, I believe, the Clerk of this chamber has defended the Senate’s constitutional rights. President, will you confirm the ruling first expounded way back in 1921 by President Givens that the Senate has every right to initiate bills like the pensions bill which involve increased expenditure from appropriations which have already been made?