Senate debates

Thursday, 22 March 2012

Motions

Constituents Request Program

1:19 pm

Photo of Michael RonaldsonMichael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Macdonald, move:

That the Senate—

(a) recognises that Buckingham Palace has issued two official portraits to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the ascension to the throne of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia;

(b) is concerned that these portraits are not available for members and senators of the Australian Parliament to distribute to organisations in their electorate under the Department of Finance and Deregulation’s Constituents’ Request Program; and

(c) calls on the Government to expand the Constituents’ Request Program to include access to these official portraits of Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh in their Diamond Jubilee year, and to so enable members and senators of the Australian Parliament to share with organisations in their community images of Australia’s Head of State.

1:20 pm

Photo of Jacinta CollinsJacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a statement of less than one minute.

Photo of John HoggJohn Hogg (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Jacinta CollinsJacinta Collins (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for School Education and Workplace Relations) Share this | | Hansard source

The government will not oppose this motion. The concerns of the opposition on this matter were first raised by way of this notice of motion and a related media release. Had the opposition raised this matter with the responsible minister, the Special Minister of State, it could have been sorted out quite quickly.

It is most regrettable that the opposition has sought to politicise Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee in this way. Diamond Jubilee portraits of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will be made available to members and senators through the Department of Finance and Deregulation. It is expected that these portraits will be available shortly.

Photo of Michael RonaldsonMichael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of John HoggJohn Hogg (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Michael RonaldsonMichael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

I am very grateful that the government has seen fit to address this clear wrong. This matter has been raised. There are a number of RSLs that have expressed concerns about this, and this motion today was about addressing that. It could have been addressed earlier; it was not. I am very pleased that the coalition, again, has forced the government's hand in relation to matters that are important to so many people in the Australian community.

Why the government again had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to do the right thing is absolutely beyond us. I am pleased that it has been done today. Why they did not do it earlier, quite frankly, is beyond us.

1:21 pm

Photo of Bob BrownBob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Photo of John HoggJohn Hogg (President) Share this | | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Photo of Bob BrownBob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

Motion 729 calls for unspecified amounts of public money to be spent on distributing portraits of Her Majesty to unspecified members of the public through members and senators. It is my view that there is a very adequate electorate allowance to cover that matter. I think if the opposition wants to come forward—

Photo of Michael RonaldsonMichael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order: Senator Brown is clearly unaware of the rules surrounding this. It is actually organisations, so perhaps he needs to get his facts right before he starts making—

Photo of John HoggJohn Hogg (President) Share this | | Hansard source

That is not a point of order; it is a debating point. I just remind senators that there has been a resolution of the Procedure Committee which seeks to have people desist from debate in these matters, so it would be helpful if senators took notice of that.

Photo of Bob BrownBob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | | Hansard source

Thank you for reminding us of that point of order while I am on my feet, Mr President. The reality is that this is uncosted. If there is extra money available, I suggest that it go to ensuring that Indigenous people in Australia who are being deprived of their first languages be given an education in their first languages and that we stop some first languages going to extinction in this country. I think that might have priority. However, if there are members opposite who cannot find a picture of Her Majesty, I would be happy to provide them with one. (Time expired)

Question agreed to.