Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also congratulate the Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and associate myself with the remarks of the Acting Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition so far as the member for Wentworth is concerned.

My purpose in rising, Mr Speaker, is to advise the House that we are of course in continuation awaiting the Senate’s consideration of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme bills. We are at this time of the year, as I said yesterday, often in the hands of the Senate. I hope to be able to advise the House in the next couple of hours what our arrangements might be for continuing the sitting today, possibly tonight and possibly tomorrow. I will do my best to advise the House as quickly as possible about the proposed arrangements for today and possibly tomorrow.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I add my congratulations to the member for Warringah, now Leader of the Opposition, on his ascension to the great high office of Leader of the Opposition in this place. May it be a very short tenure as you lead us to the next election and become Prime Minister at the next election. Today, of all days, the Labor Party should want to have question time and give the Leader of the Opposition an opportunity to start holding them to account for their failures. Why wouldn’t you, if apparently it is so easy to knock over the opposition, have question time and put it to the test? I think you will find it will be a very different course of events between now and the next election as we hold the government to account for debt, for deficit, for high interest rates, for weak border protection and for exposing Australia and its industries to the risk of being destroyed by overseas competitors. I look forward to the great debate, the great battle, of the next three months. I intend to work cooperatively with the Acting Leader of the House to get us out of here as soon as possible. I am sure the members of the House of Representatives are yearning to return to their electorates after what has been a most afebrile environment in the last couple of weeks. I hope the Senate, with our sitting here, will feel the pressure to act, deal with the amendments and get the bills back to us as soon as possible.

Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence: I am always grateful for the cooperation of the Manager of Opposition Business. On this side, we continue to admire both his flexibility and his stoicism.