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

What we have now heard is not only misinformation but also an outrageous hypocritical contribution in relation to how this place is managed from those opposite, who seek to upend the program and who seek to try to manage the program from afar without an understanding of how the program actually works—without even an understanding of how the Senate actually operates.

It operates most efficiently and effectively by cooperation between all the parties in here. What I have not heard from the opposition is an undertaking or a guarantee—and they have got the opportunity to give it with the remaining speakers—that we will get through the program that has been outlined. Of course it is misinformation provided by those opposite to say that they did not have a clear picture of what the program for this week was about. It was provided to all parties in the week leading up to this week. That program sets out what we expect to get through in the Senate this week.

I ask the opposition to consider providing that guarantee that we will finalise those pieces of legislation on that list this week. What is disappointing to see is that cheap politics are being played by those opposite with the legislative program, probably because they have nothing else to talk about other than the processor itself—which is disappointing in itself. But the management of the program within the Senate is a serious matter that all parties have agreed to and continue to agree to, except when it does not suit those opposite.

We also have an outrageous position being adopted by the opposition in relation to the program. It is one where it does not want to finalise the address-in-reply—that is an interesting position. We do need to finalise the address-in-reply within this fortnight so that we can provide it to the Governor-General in February when we come back. That is a matter that always happened during this period. If you are blind to that then you have not been following the program particularly well over the last couple of years. Perhaps Senator Evans’s comments about your inability to stay awake in this place are apt.

We do have a range of other matters that we then need to deal with as part of the legislative program. To ignore that we need to have these debates around a whole raft of things, including legislation, committees and the address-in-reply, is to ignore how the program works in the Senate. It is completely baseless to try to fashion an argument that this government is not managing its program well. In addition to that, many of the bills have also been referred—by agreement and not opposed by this government—off to Senate inquiries to be dealt with by Senate committees so that time spent in this parliament in committee stage and also in dealing with second readings will be reduced to assist those making those contributions.

Of course, many of those inquiries are being pushed back because of the number that have been sent. Be that as it may, the reporting dates on that available legislation will fall in the second week that we are here in parliament. I also want the opposition to commit to finalising those bills that the government needs before we go to the end-of-year break. If you are going to complain about the lack of legislation available then I assume you will also agree to additional hours when we require time to finalise the program. I assume that you will also agree to ensuring that we can facilitate debate to ensure we can complete the legislative program as outlined and given you to a week earlier. In addition, I assume that in the second week you will also cooperate in ensuring that we can finalise that legislative program.

It would be stunning to me if you did that, because you have not been doing that in the last three years that we have been in this place and you have been in opposition. This is not only an act of all of those who sit opposite; they are the acts of both the manager and the previous manager, who have not ensured that they provide additional hours of work. They have not ensured additional provision of time to provide for the legislative program to be dealt with in this place. Why? It is because they do not want to be here. That is the only conclusion that I can come to: they do not want to contribute to debate in this place. (Time expired)