Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

If the Chief Government Whip is so anxious to interject, I invite him to stand up and tell us what is so urgent about this bill, why the Prime Minister's office is demanding that the manager push this bill along and refuses to send it to a committee, which is the normal process in the Senate. The normal process in this Senate is that, if a senator or a party requests that the bill go to a legislation committee, then absent compelling circumstances to the contrary, that principle has been adhered to. Not once have you indicated to us why this is so compelling. (Time expired)