Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I join Labor members in this House in opposing the bill that's before us and in supporting the second reading amendment that all words after 'that' be omitted to insert the words 'the House declines to give this bill a second reading as it places the government's political interests ahead of the interests of Australia's farmers'.

We have a bill before us where we don't know if the person who has moved it is allowed to be a member of this place. We are currently debating a bill which, because it's opposed, will come to a division, and, therefore, the House—now with its eyes wide open, having carried a resolution on Monday—will be voting on legislation where we don't know whether it has been lawfully moved, and the person whom we don't know is lawfully here will turn up when the bells ring to vote on it. This is unprecedented in Australia, completely unprecedented.

We have continued to ask the government with respect to bills like this, with respect to who is the sponsor of the bill and with respect to divisions, to follow the practice that has been adopted in the Senate. The practice that has been adopted in the Senate for Senator Canavan is that he has stood aside from his role. He may end up being cleared by the court, and then I expect he will come back. But, in the meantime, he has stood aside and has decided to not participate in votes until the High Court has concluded deliberating on that. We have asked for nothing less in this House. There is nothing that we can do that will stop the government from persisting with what they do today. But I would advise the House that, if we are still in this extraordinary situation in two weeks time, when we come back on 4 September, there will be a motion on the Notice Paper at that point.

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