Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that general business notice of motion 548 standing in my name for today relating to the victims of communism be taken as a formal motion.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there any objection to this motion being taken as formal?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, there is.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is an objection to the motion being granted formality, Senator Bernardi.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question I'm being asked is: is leave granted for Senator Gallagher to make a short statement?

Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of clarification, if formality has been denied, then I could seek to suspend standing orders. If Senator Gallagher would like to make a short statement before this motion is taken as formal, I'm happy to accede to that. But, if the Senate wants me to suspend standing orders, I'm happy to do that, too.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Bernardi, I can only deal with what is before the chair. Formality has been denied to your motion. We have a request from a senator seeking leave of the Senate to make a short statement. Is leave granted? Leave is granted for one minute, Senator Gallagher.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. Labor has denied formality to this motion today because we believe issues such as the one raised by Senator Bernardi in motion number 548 should not be dealt with by a simple motion of the Senate. It relates to matters of international political history across a number of different countries. We believe that, if you're moving motions like this, there should be the opportunity for substantive debate on the issue by other senators. That is why we do want to cooperate with Senator Bernardi. We notice that there is often a number of motions from him across a wide range of issues. We do like to work with Senator Bernardi but we also feel it's important that when there are motions being put like this where other contributions could be made, or should be made, about these topics they should be dealt with not in general business notices of motion but rather through matters of public importance, private senators' time or general business time.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a brief statement in response.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Gallagher. I do appreciate your extending of the olive branch of cooperation. However, these things are not debated on a regular basis in matters of public importance or at any other time because people on that side of the chamber, including the Greens and yourselves, seek to game the system to prevent the crossbench from actually getting their motions up. Those of us who only have one vote only get to put one submission in, whereas you, the Greens and others put multiple submissions in, trying to game the system.

Opposition senators interjecting—

So, please, don't lecture me about the opportunities to debate these things. If you want to debate these things, let's have a discussion about it and a debate about it. You can perhaps put the motion in about the merits of communism tomorrow, if that's what you feel like—right? But the fact is that this is an ideology that has destroyed hundreds of millions of lives and you don't want to have a motion where we say that it's terrible and that we should be condemning it.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President, Special Minister of State) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is disappointed that formality has been denied in these circumstances. The government agrees that the teachings of Lenin and Marx are completely inconsistent with the values of liberal democracy and freedom. We note the significant numbers of refugees who have come to Australia, fleeing communist regimes, and acknowledge the significant contribution they have made to Australian society.