Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the Criminal Code Amendment (Keeping Australia Safe) Bill 2026.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice of motion standing in the name of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to the consideration of the Criminal Code Amendment (Keeping Australia Safe) Bill 2026.

It is remarkable that we have a government that, firstly, as we've just seen, seeks to remove opposition senators' time to debate bills that they bring forward into this place for debate. It's something that is in the calendar for every week of the sittings schedule. It is an opportunity for non-government senators to actually give air to an issue of concern to the community, a group that we represent; they've gone and taken that away. Yet here we are trying to establish the capacity to debate an important piece of legislation, the Criminal Code Amendment (Keeping Australia Safe) Bill 2026, and the government have determined, 'No, we're not going to allow that to happen.' Indeed, I'm pretty sure I heard voices down the end of the chamber indicating the government is supported by crossbench senators in this pursuit of blocking scrutiny of this important legislation.

As I say, this is private senators' time, and we should be allowed to debate bills of our choice in it. Allowing this to occur is not an indication that government or crossbench senators want to support the legislation we're debating, but it is just allowing us to have this debate.