House debates Resolutions of the Senate
COVID-19: Arts and Entertainment Industry; Consideration of Senate Message
Rob Mitchell McEwen, Australian Labor Party
10:12 am
The Speaker has received the following message from the Senate:
The Senate transmits to the House of Representatives the following resolution which was agreed to by the Senate:
That the Senate—
(a) notes that:
(i) it has been more than three months since COVID-19 physical distancing rules effectively shut down the arts and entertainment industry overnight;
(ii) hundreds of thousands of workers in the arts and entertainment industry have been impacted; and
(iii) the Morrison Government has not announced any specific industry assistance for arts and entertainment; and
(b) calls on the Morrison Government to detail and deliver a recovery package for the arts and entertainment industry.
The Senate requests the concurrence of the House of Representatives in this resolution.
Ordered that the message be considered immediately.
Alan Tudge Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure
I move:
That consideration of the message be made an order of the day for the next sitting.
Adam Bandt Melbourne, Australian Greens
I move:
That all words after 'That' be omitted with a view to substituting the following words 'That the message be considered immediately.'
It has been a fortnight since the Prime Minister announced a package would be coming for the entertainment industry—
Rob Mitchell McEwen, Australian Labor Party
The member for Melbourne will resume his seat.
Alan Tudge Aston, Liberal Party, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure
I move:
That the member be no longer heard.
Tony Smith Speaker
The question is that the Leader of the Greens be no further heard.
Zali Steggall Warringah, Independent
I second this motion. The arts play a central part in the way we live—
Tony Smith Speaker
The member for Warringah will resume her seat. The Leader of the House?
Christian Porter Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I move:
That the question be put.
Tony Smith Speaker
The Leader of the House has moved that the question be put.
Tony Smith Speaker
10:23 am
The question now is that the motion moved by the minister be agreed to. The Leader of the Greens on a point of order?
Adam Bandt Melbourne, Australian Greens
I understand that the point was made yesterday about a gag being moved midway through, but I moved an amendment and that amendment was seconded so the question should—
Adam Bandt Melbourne, Australian Greens
When the minister moved that the question be put, the question before the House was my amendment.
Tony Smith Speaker
Yes, but until that question, as I said yesterday, has been moved, seconded and then I have stated that it is the question before the House, it is not the question. The question before the House is the original question. It's made very, very clear in the House of Representatives Practice, with all the precedents, that a closure motion can be moved during the moving of an amendment, the seconding of an amendment, until such time as that seconding is complete and I say, 'The question is that the amendment be agreed to.' Up until that point, the closure applies.
I know the member for Melbourne has raised this a number of times. I suggest that he has a close look at the page in Practice with all the precedents.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
That being the case, it would be appreciated if you could restate the actual question that is before us, because it's my understanding that if there's a no vote on the question that's now before us it would have the same impact as the amendment would have had.
Tony Smith Speaker
The question before the House is the original question moved by the minister: that consideration of the message be made an order of the day for the next sitting.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
So it effectively puts off the consideration of the issue.
Tony Smith Speaker
It does exactly what the motion says; it's an order of the day for the next sitting. I hope that clarifies things for the member for Melbourne. I will send around the page; it's probably easier if I do that. So the question is that the motion moved by the minister that consideration of the message be made an order of the day for the next sitting be agreed to.