Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

On the point of order, Speaker, I acknowledge suspensions of standing orders are not to be moved lightly. I think the case for this suspension of standing orders to be moved is a very strong one because, when you announced the message that the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Protections Against Discrimination) Bill 2023 had been returned from the Senate, at that point there was complete silence. I think it was entirely reasonable for the opposition and indeed all parliamentarians to expect that at that time the Leader of the House would do exactly as he did with the first bill that was the subject of a message coming from the other house. At that point he stood to move that the second reading be made an order of the day for the next sitting, and it was in reliance on that expectation that the opposition did not immediately jump. I can inform the House it's the opposition's intention to move this suspension of standing orders and one further suspension of standing orders. This suspension of standing orders relates to the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Strengthening Protections Against Discrimination) Bill 2023.

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