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

I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the following from occurring on Monday, 30 March 2026:

(1) the following bills being presented and after the second reading speech of the Minister on each bill, debate being adjourned until a later hour:

(a) Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Strategic Reserve) Bill 2026;

(b) Appropriation (Fuel Security Response) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026; and

(c) Appropriation (Fuel Security Response) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026;

(2) when the order of the day for the resumption of debate on the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Strategic Reserve) Bill 2026 is called on, a cognate debate taking place with Appropriation (Fuel Security Response) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 and Appropriation (Fuel Security Response) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026;

(3) immediately following questions without notice and any documents presented by the Speaker or Leader of the House, if the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Strategic Reserve) Bill 2026, Appropriation (Fuel Security Response) Bill (No. 1) 2025-2026 or Appropriation (Fuel Security Response) Bill (No. 2) 2025-2026 have not passed, debate to resume immediately;

(4) at no later than 5.30 pm, any questions necessary to complete the remaining stages of each bill being put, with any message from the Governor-General under standing order 147 being announced, and any detail amendments circulated being treated as if they had been moved [together] by the Member proposing them; and

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

For the information of members, these are the bills that were announced over the weekend to be introduced by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and the Treasurer. There will be a cognate debate on all three bills together. Once they're introduced, we'll go straight to the debate, obviously with the relevant representative of the opposition speaking first.

We are not curtailing individual speaking times; we're leaving them as they would ordinarily be. But, to make sure that we can get legislation across to the Senate for tomorrow, the bill will go through all remaining stages in consecutive votes at 5.30 pm. If amendments have been circulated, they will be taken as though they have been moved and voted on as well. I commend the resolution to the chamber.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition will support this motion to suspend standing orders, but I would say a couple of things, if that's okay. First of all, it's good to see the minister here, and it's good to see the minister actually moving to do something. The only trouble is it's taken over one month since the Iran war started for him to finally realise that we have a national crisis and to start moving, to start pulling his finger out and doing something. That is why we're happy to agree to this.

I would say also that we appreciate that this is the parliament working as the parliament should work. We were offered a briefing. We had a briefing. We were able to consider what had happened. We'll have a proper debate of these three bills here today. That's how the parliament should work, especially when we're dealing with a national fuel crisis. So we're happy to support this, but we say to the government that you should follow the precedent that you have followed today on all bills in this House, because this is the way proper government should work. You have made a complete hash and mess of this national fuel crisis. It is a complete hash and mess. Australians are hurting. They can't get fuel, and they are paying through the roof for fuel. It's good to see that, finally, the penny has dropped—one month too late. We're hoping that National Cabinet and the states and territories will be able to help the government again with some announcements after that. Because this is the government actually doing something, having realised this is a national crisis, we are happy to support this suspension of standing orders.

Question agreed to, with an absolute majority.