Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I think it is important that we remember that we did deal with these issues in response to some difficulties that arose last time about a joint sitting of the parliament. I do not want to go over that ground. It was pretty well covered at the time. But, as the Clerk reminds me, we did have a report from the Senate Standing Committee of Privileges, the Senate Standing Committee on Procedure and House of Representatives Standing Committee on Procedure which recommended this as a better course of action to get over the difficulties we found with a joint sitting. Whilst this is not the motion on which we ought to be having this debate, I would just indicate that Labor will be supporting it on the basis that that was the procedure recommended. I think there is a great deal of sympathy around the parliament for doing these things as a gathering in the Great Hall because both chambers are treated with equal respect. But, given that we carried the motion we did to overcome the difficulties last time, this seems to me to be at least a reasonable way to proceed.

Question agreed to.