Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Hansard source

The President has received a letter from Senator Siewert proposing that a definite matter of public importance be submitted to the Senate for discussion, namely:

The need for the Federal Government to respond as soon as possible to address the lack of adequate access to dialysis services in central Australia, the denial of access to services of patients in urgent need, and the commitment of the Government to play a leading role in ‘closing the gap’ on Aboriginal health outcomes.

I call upon those senators who approve of the proposed discussion to rise in their places.

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

I understand that informal arrangements have been made to allocate specific times to each of the speakers in today’s debate. With the concurrence of the Senate, I shall ask the clerks to set the clock accordingly.