I ask that general business notice of motion No. 594 standing in my name and the name of Senator Ludlam for today, relating to territorial copyright protection for books, be taken as a formal motion.

Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal?

I seek leave to make a short statement.

There being no objection, leave is granted for two minutes.

Notice of motion No. 594 calls on the government to abandon plans they inherited from the Howard government to remove or restrict territorial copyright protection for books. This is a bit like stifling debate. I am not saying I am for it or against it, but having a notice of motion like this on an issue that we really need to spend time debating is not the right way of proceeding on this issue. It calls on the government to abandon plans before we even have a debate in the chamber about it. I tend to think this is not the way to go on an issue that clearly needs debate and that we should not stifle debate on such an issue. It is pre-empting something before we even get there.

Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal? There being none, I call Senator Milne.

I, and also on behalf of Senator Ludlam, move:

That the Senate—(a) notes that:(i) the experience from around the world does not support claims from the Productivity Commission and others that removing territorial copyright protection would reduce the market price for books, and(ii) there is ample evidence that removing territorial copyright protection would hurt Australia’s writers, publishers and printers, damaging both Australia’s culture and economy; and(b) calls on the Government to abandon the plans, inherited from the Howard Government, to remove or restrict territorial copyright protection for books.

Question put.