Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Hansard source

I inform the Senate that, at 8.30 am today, six proposals were received in accordance with standing order 75. The question of which proposal would be submitted to the Senate was determined by lot. As a result, I inform the Senate that the following letter has been received from Senator Siewert:

Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today I propose to move that, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of public importance:

The need for Australian governments to recognise that abortion should not be regulated by antiquated criminal laws crafted in the 1800s, which penalise a woman's decisions over her own body—especially in Queensland and New South Wales.

Is the proposal supported?

More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

I understand that informal arrangements have been made to allocate specific times to each of the Senators in today’s debate. With the concurrence of the Senate, I shall ask the clerks to set the clock accordingly.