John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

I do not know who it is, and I mean that quite seriously. It may be a new senator in this Senate who is not aware of some of our procedures, and I think we have to take these things into account. But I would urge consistency in approach if and when leave is granted and the Senate moves through whatever mechanisms it determines and, as Senator Minchin is certainly aware and the Manager of Opposition Business is certainly aware, there is a way of dealing with these matters.

I would urge that the Leader of the Opposition ensure that those precedents are respected in relation to this matter, and I say that very seriously. I put to the Leader of the Opposition that that is a way forward. I cannot speak on this matter and I do not pretend to on behalf of the government, but I can say on behalf of the government that I know how consistently we have dealt with these matters in the past—absolutely consistently. We have never varied, and I personally have never varied and would not vary, from the principle of the will of the Senate being reflected in the decisions it makes. But here is something for every opposition senator to give some consideration to over the hours and days ahead: to remember these principles, to take account of them, to ensure the good management of this place and to ensure political process and parliamentary process is disciplined and principled, understanding that differences occur in this chamber.

I make those comments to the chamber and say in conclusion that I do not believe the question before the chair impacts in any way in terms of preventing the recommittal, and I say that in terms of whether the question before the chair is agreed to or not agreed to, because the question may not be agreed to if the will of the Senate is as Senator Abetz has indicated and as Senator Minchin intimates. That is certainly the case. So I do not think that the fate of this particular question before the chair is relevant to the recommittal. In fact, I do not believe that whether that question is put or not and is agreed to or not is relevant to the recommittal, but I do ask opposition senators to think about these comments and respect the principles behind them.