John Hogg (President) Share this | Hansard source

I said ‘that there would be a question’. I will address the question as I can at this stage. Yesterday the Senate considered the Urgent Relief for Single Age Pensioners Bill 2008, after a decision by the Senate to grant that debate precedence over government business. The Senate debated and agreed to the bill and it was then transmitted to the House of Representatives. I understand that, to this point, the House has not taken any action on the message from the Senate transmitting the bill. Any action will be a matter for the House of Representatives in the first instance. Should any message on the subject be received from the House at a later stage, it will be given up to the Senate to consider the matter further. Further, in your question you did ask about the earlier ruling. I am not overturning any previous ruling of the Senate at all.