Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the temporary orders of the Senate of 15 October 2008 and 13 November 2008, relating to the abolition of questions to senators other than ministers and to chairs of committees, and the restructuring of question time, continue as temporary orders during 2009.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—As we have just seen, I cannot amend this, but I do want to put on record that we have spoken with Senator Ferguson about this and the Greens are agreeing to this for the first session of 2009 and may well seek to have it reviewed—and think it would be sensible for it to be reviewed—in April or May of next year.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—As I understand the process in respect of this motion, for clarity, it is the intention to deal with it for a short while in 2009 and, at the same time, to refer it to the Senate Standing Committee on Procedure to look at it and then report back so that we get the ducks in a row, if I could use that expression.

Alan Ferguson (SA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I have already given a guarantee, Senator Brown, that we will be looking at this as soon as we return to the sittings in February. The reason we have put it for the year 2009 is that it is a temporary order and can be revoked at any time. That can happen during the first session if people want to change it, but, if we do not have this in place, it means that we will revert to the old question time for the first day or two of the next sitting. It is really just to cover that occurrence.

Question agreed to.