Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Let me firstly thank the opposition for their indulgence in acting consistent with longstanding convention where if a vote has occurred that does not represent the will of the Senate that vote is recommitted. We very much appreciate that.

Let me say in relation to the Greens that that representation is entirely wrong. I did not expect to be in a position to sum up last night. The second thing I did not expect was a vote on the second reading debate. I knew there were going to be amendments in the committee stages. I assumed—wrongly, in hindsight—that the bill would pass on the voices at the second reading stage and that we would have the debate in relation to the specifics during the committee stages. That is not the way it played out. Senator Whish-Wilson made a quorum call in order to assist Senator Di Natale to get to the chamber on time. That did not happen. He was not able to make his contribution. That is why I continued to sum up.