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

I have sought and obtained leave to make a short statement. It appears that the last vote did not reflect the numbers in the chamber. We are going to find out exactly what has happened. I am asking for that vote to be recommitted at a later hour. Because it is an amendment to a substantive motion, I would then ask that that substantive motion be held over to that time. I understand that we generally have broad agreement within the Senate that that is permissible. I do apologise that we have not been able, in the short space of time, to ascertain the exact nature of the problem. Given that the opposition, with the support of the Greens and with the support of Senator Xenophon, would normally negative the vote, I can reasonably surmise there is a problem with the counting.