Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I'm going to ask you to make a ruling, President. The advice from the deputy clerk is that 39 votes are required because there is no relevant contingent notice. We dispute that and we have asked for the clerk to attend to—I appreciate that that's the deputy clerk's advice. I've asked for the clerk to attend in order to consider that, because we will ask the President to rule on this. I'm in the Senate's hands. We can vote, but the effect of that will obviously depend on whether or not the 39 requirement is required.