Richard Di Natale Victoria, Australian Greens
4:43 pm
I ask that general business notice of motion 158, standing in my name for today, relating to West Papua, be taken as a formal motion.
James McGrath Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister
My understanding is that we are going to deny formality, but Senator Di Natale wants to seek leave to then speak for a minute.
Richard Di Natale Victoria, Australian Greens
Rather than suspending standing orders, I seek leave to make a one minute statement.
Richard Di Natale Victoria, Australian Greens
It is disappointing that once again the government is denying the Greens the opportunity to put forward a motion on foreign policy. We think this is an appropriate form in which to do it. Today is the day of the national flag of West Papua. It is a day that is celebrated in West Papua, where there is a community whose human rights are being oppressed, where we are seeing political prisoners imprisoned at an alarming rate and where reports from Amnesty International indicate that the situation is getting worse rather than better. What the Greens are urging for here is to open up West Papua to human rights monitors, to deal with the issue of political prisoners and for Australia to show some leadership on the international stage. We urge that issues like this are allowed to be put forward through motions so that we do not have to endure more suspensions of standing orders.