Senate debates Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2008
Returned from the House of Representatives
Message received from the House of Representatives agreeing to the amendments made by the Senate to the bill.
Ian Macdonald Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia
10:27 am
Mr President, could I seek—with some trepidation, I might say—leave of the Senate to make a statement of less than 60 seconds? I can even indicate the nature of the statement, if that would help.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Government Senators:
Government senators interjecting—
Joe Ludwig Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate
What was it about? Ask again.
Ian Macdonald Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia
It was about—
John Hogg President
Order! If you people want to work these things out beforehand, that is fine. I have the job of sitting in the chair and determining to keep this place flowing with the business. Senator Macdonald, do you want the call again? You are entitled.
Ian Macdonald Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia
Yes, Mr President. I am not sure that my request was understood by everybody. I seek leave to make a very short statement, of less than 60 seconds, about the message that you have just delivered.
Joe Ludwig Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate
Yes.
Ian Macdonald Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia
Thank you, Mr President. I want to thank the government for allowing me to make this statement. I want to put on record my thanks to the government and the Labor Party for agreeing in the lower house to the amendments moved by the Senate to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2008. I know the Labor Party argued vociferously and vigorously against our amendments. They voted against them but when the amendments went to the other House they agreed. I thank them for that—not on my account, of course, but on behalf of all of those Australians who were affected by the amendments. I want to express their thanks to the government for agreeing to those amendments.