The Leader of the Opposition?

I seek leave to move the following motion—

Mr Speaker, I was on my feet.

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat for a second. The Leader of the House was seeking the call, and the Leader of the Opposition was seeking the call at the same time. Clearly, the Leader of the Opposition has a suspension motion. We can play this one of two ways: I can sit the Leader of the Opposition down and hear from the Leader of the House, but it may well be that this wastes a bit of time, because the Leader of the Opposition is entitled to move a motion and the Leader of the House is entitled to move a motion. The Leader of the House had been on his feet, but as Leader of the Opposition had jumped I called him. We can proceed with that—

You are the Speaker; you have to decide. I was on my feet.

You were on your feet first. I am going to ask the Leader of the House to resume his seat—in the interests of moving through with business, that will be better for the convenience of the House. The Leader of the Opposition has the call.

I seek leave to move the following motion:

That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) the Prime Minister has confirmed that his laws to water down protections against racist hate speech will be introduced into the Senate instead of the House of Representatives;

(b) this is nothing more than a cynical attempt by the Prime Minister to be able to claim to the extreme elements in his party room that his Government is taking action on section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act while hoping MPs in this Chamber can avoid having to vote on the issue; and

(c) Members of Parliament should not say one thing in Canberra but another thing to the voters in their electorates;

(2) resolves to deal with this issue today;

(3) affirms there should be no weakening of the Racial Discrimination Act by giving licence to racist hate speech; and

(4) therefore, resolves to retain section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act in its current form.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion forthwith—That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) the Prime Minister has confirmed that his laws to water down protections against racist hate speech will be introduced into the Senate instead of the House of Representatives;

(b) this is nothing more than a cynical attempt by the Prime Minister to be able to claim to the extreme elements in his party room that his Government is taking action on section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act while hoping MPs in this Chamber can avoid having to vote on the issue; and

(c) Members of Parliament should not say one thing in Canberra but another thing to the voters in their electorates;

(2) resolves to deal with this issue today;

(3) affirms there should be no weakening of the Racial Discrimination Act by giving licence to racist hate speech; and

(4) therefore, resolves to retain section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act in its current form.

This is classic member for Wentworth—not even willing to give the people—

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

The question is that the Leader of the Opposition be no longer heard.

Is the motion seconded?

I second the motion. In the few moments time every member has to vote—

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

The question now is that the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition be agreed to.

I move:

That the motion be put.

The question is that the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition be agreed to.

I move:

That business intervening before order of the day No. 30, government business, be postponed until a later hour this day.

Question agreed to.