Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

Labor will be opposing this motion. There are large parts of it that we agree with, but we don't believe you can deal with an issue like the economic response to COVID-19, and call on the federal government to make a whole range of additional payments, by way of a formal motion in this place. It does not allow debate. That is the point that we've been raising time and time again in this part of the program. Complex issues where there are a variety of opinions, whether you agree with them or not, deserve to be debated in this place. Formal motions don't allow it. They're a very simplistic way of getting a video out, essentially, and Labor—

An honourable senator interjecting—

whilst we are sympathetic—as you know, Senator—to many of the issues raised in this motion, we believe you cannot determine by formal motion the expenditure of billions and billions of dollars in relation to a very, very serious economic problem facing this country. (Time expired)