Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of Senator Lines, Chair of the Procedure Committee, I present the committee's third report of 2019 on routine of business, and I move:

That the Senate adopt the recommendation of paragraph 1.5 of the report.

As part of its oversight of Senate practice and procedure, the committee recommends a trial of arrangements intended to streamline aspects of Senate business without any reduction in business time. The arrangements proposed in this report effectively transfer one hour of business time from Thursday evening sittings to Monday evening, converting the current Senate dinner break into an extra hour of debating time to be undertaken on a no-divisions basis.

The average start time for the adjournment debate on Thursdays in recent years has been around 6.30 pm, with the Senate adjourning between 6.50 and 7 pm. With one hour of business time now added to proceedings on Mondays, the committee proposes to bring the Thursday adjournment time forward by one hour so that the adjournment will be proposed at 5.30 pm and the Senate will adjourn no later than 6 pm. The committee also proposes different arrangements for the consideration of committee reports and other documents on a Thursday afternoon.

More broadly, the committee also proposes a trial of reduced speaking times on bills and in other general debates so that more senators may participate in the available time. The main effect of this will be that general debate on second reading motions and the like will be reduced from 20 to 15 minutes, and contributions in Committee of the Whole will be reduced from 15 to 10 minutes, remembering that senators may make multiple contributions in committee.

The motion I have moved would see these arrangements apply on trial basis from the first sitting day next year until the end of the first sitting week in August. The committee would welcome feedback from senators on the trial, and I commend the report to the Senate.

Question agreed to.