Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens are very pleased to see the tabling of this particular report by the Procedure Committee. This is an area of reform that we have actively pursued over the last few years, as people in this place will be well aware. We raised it formally with the Procedure Committee in September 2009. The temporary orders are the practical implementation of the pursuit of this and also of the Greens’ agreement with the ALP to form government. The temporary orders require that at least two hours and 20 minutes are dedicated to the debate of and vote on private members’ bills—a fixed and fair allocation of time for Independents’ and minor party members’ business in both houses every full sitting week. The agreement stated 2.5 hours in each house. The House of Representatives has been operating under a new standing order for some weeks, and I think we all agree it has brought a very diverse range of issues, from a broad range of members, to the chamber for consideration.

This reform brings the Senate into line with comparable jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and the New South Wales Legislative Council, all of which have mechanisms in place for debating private members’ business. Until now, the consideration of private senators’ business in this place has been ad hoc, to say the least, and limited. We believe this reform is a welcome development that we intend to make sure is used effectively. The Greens believe it is the prerogative of all elected representatives to bring forward for debate issues which are of importance to them and their constituents. My fellow Greens senators are certainly looking forward to bringing on debate and voting on many bills that we have already introduced in this chamber. We look forward to the temporary orders commencing in the new parliamentary year, next year, although we do not yet know when that starts.

I thank government senators—in particular Senator Evans and Senator Ludwig—opposition senators and the Procedure Committee. I also thank Senator Fifield, who actively participated in trying to find some workable arrangements. The committee had to look at all the options to work out what would work best. I thank senators for their meaningful engagement in the process. I look forward to this temporary order being in place next year and being able to debate private senators’ bills so that we can debate issues in this chamber that are not always on the government’s agenda. I commend the temporary orders to the chamber.