Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—What we have here is a very serious matter. It is something on which I think the opposition have demonstrated a pattern of behaviour in respect of this chamber. It is something that should be taken very seriously. We have known for some time that there would be a crucial vote on a significant package of something in the order of $1.6 billion. What we have now seen is an opposition senator miss a vote in the chamber, a critical vote on a very important bill, and then come back into the chamber, make an explanation and ask for the matter to be recommitted. We will grant that because it is a longstanding convention to ensure that the will of the Senate is reflected. But in this respect it is something on which I am saying clearly that, when you look at the behaviour of the opposition from this morning right through the rest of the day, you see the opposition have refused leave in a range of circumstances, which is not by convention. Over the last week they have not stuck to what I would have said was a broad agreement about how the program would run.