Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That:

(1) for Tuesday, 29 July 2025 and Wednesday, 30 July 2025:

(a) standing order 33 (limit on business after normal time of adjournment) be suspended; and

(b) so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the adjournment debate being interrupted at 8 pm and government business having priority until:

(i) business concludes, if earlier than 10 pm; or

(ii) 10 pm; or

(iii) a later time specified by a Minister prior to 10 pm;

at which point, the debate being adjourned and the House immediately adjourning until the next sitting;

(2) for Tuesday, 29 July 2025 to Thursday, 31 July 2025:

(a) statements of no longer than 10 minutes each on the provisions of the Early Childhood Education and Care (Strengthening Regulation of Early Education) Bill 2025 be permitted in the House or Federation Chamber when other business is not before that Chamber; and

(b) statements of no longer than 10 minutes each on the provisions of the Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Bill 2025 be permitted in the House or Federation Chamber when other business is not before that Chamber; and

(3) any variation to this arrangement being made only on a motion moved by a Minister.

Given the unusual nature of this suspension, I'll give a brief explanation to the House. I want to thank both the Manager of Opposition Business and the crossbench for the consultation that has happened in the lead-up to this, and I accept that this is a process which we are doing for specific reasons today. I am hopeful that, if we ever repeat it, it's very rare. Certainly, the ideal would be that it's never repeated.

I'll explain, having said all that, what it is we're actually doing. There are two items of legislation that the government needs to urgently get across to the Senate. One relates to the 20 per cent cut in student debt and the other relates to the government being able to raise standards in early childhood education. These bills need to get across to the Senate quickly for very different reasons.

The issues with respect to the student-debt bill is because, once it passes the parliament, there is a mountain of work that has to be done in terms of lines of coding and everything before students will in fact see the reduction in their debts. They're not disadvantaged by this, because it is backdated, but the length of delay which already occurs just administratively is longer than we want it to be and we are trying to avoid the parliament adding to that delay.

For the second bill, with respect to early education, anyone who has been asked in the media about this bill, from wherever they sit within the parliament, has spoken about its urgency. The nature of the issue though is one where lots of people will have speeches, including some very personal speeches that they'll be wanting to put on the record. I don't think anybody wants their speech to be a reason for the delay, and we do want the education minister to be able to have the powers that are contained within the legislation at the earliest possible opportunity. The examples that we've seen from a very, very small section of workers within that sector are so horrific that there is a legitimate expectation by the public that we act quickly.

The normal way of the government being able to act quickly with respect to both of the bills would simply be for me to move that the question be put. That is the normal way that that's been done by both sides of politics over the years. With this motion I am trying to accept the urgency but find a way that the parliament still gets to vote on each of the procedures that the parliament would normally want to vote on, some of which would be lost if I moved that the question be put, but still make sure we get it across to the Senate and people are still able to get their speeches about the legislation on the record.

So, while I accept completely that it is well and truly imperfect and there is stronger language available about people making some of their speeches after the bill has gone across to the Senate, that is the only way I've been able to find—short of the traditional gag motion—to get it across there. I am hoping that, by providing the opportunity for speeches both here and in the Federation Chamber, through the parliament's sitting late tonight and sitting late tomorrow night, that will encourage people to give very few speeches this morning and later this afternoon when we're dealing with the specific bills, in the hope that we might be able to get it across to the Senate cooperatively. That's what I'm hoping for, and I thank the House for it.

I give fair notice that we do need to get the student debt bill across before question time, but I'm hoping that we're in a position where we can do that cooperatively. For the benefit of members, particularly new members, who might not be aware of this: even though the parliament sits late, after 6.30 there are no divisions or quorums. So you will stay here late if you are giving a speech—or if you just enjoy being here listening to the speeches; all reasons are available. But certainly there'll be no votes or quorum calls after 6.30. I hope that explains the procedure that this is bringing forward.

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