Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank my colleagues for their contribution to the debate on this motion. It is not an extraordinary or unusual thing, as Senator Macdonald pointed out, for governments on occasion to seek to rearrange the business. In this case, as I indicated to all parties and to all representatives of the cross bench that I spoke to, there was indeed a request for consideration of the two health related bills to be put later to allow additional consideration by those crossbench senators.

I thought that was an entirely reasonable request and is something that I flagged and indicated to those around the chamber. I might add that I did it at least a good four or more hours ago. So it is not something that has crept up. It is the government seeking to accommodate the legitimate desire of new senators to this place to consider these matters. As Manager of Government Business in the Senate I thought it was an entirely appropriate thing to do and those opposite, when they were on this side of the chamber, did this from time to time.