Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Temporary Chairman Back, I am keen to get a ruling from you—with the clerk's assistance—about what Senator Cormann just told us. He said, in answer to a set of questions posed to him by Senator Cameron earlier, that he would refuse to respond to anything that was not directly relevant to the question before the chair, which at the moment is an opposition amendment.

He was then quite happy to respond to Senator Macdonald's stream of consciousness up to and including questions about union coverage of various industries. None of that is remotely relevant to Senator Singh's amendment. I am just testing with you, Temporary Chairman, that Senator Cormann is entirely in order to range as freely as he likes in his responses, and that we on the cross benches and the opposition benches, are also entirely in order to ask general questions relevant to the bill, whether they relate to the specific amendment or not.

I have been participating in debates like these for six years, and in the committee stage we are able to ask questions and test the government on specifics of the bill and ask general questions at any stage during this committee debate. I am just seeking your guidance, Chair.