Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That:

(a) the orders of the Senate of 14 November 2019 relating to the days of meeting for 2020 and estimates hearings be suspended until 11 August 2020;

(b) the President shall alter the day and time of the next meeting of the Senate at the request of, or the agreement of, the Leader of the Government in the Senate and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and the time of meeting shall be notified to each senator;

(c) the Senate may meet in a manner and form not otherwise provided in the standing orders with the agreement of the Leader of the Government in the Senate and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and that the rules and orders necessary to constitute such a meeting may be determined by the Procedure Committee; and

(d) leave of absence be granted to every member of the Senate from the end of the sitting today, to the day on which the Senate next meets.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought that a Labor member might request the call, but, regardless, I would just make a couple of observations about this and flag with you, President, that I will be asking that part (a) be put separately from parts (b), (c) and (d). That will be a request that I will be making of you. We don't believe it is appropriate to suspend effective until 11 August. There are other ways around this and we think that a suspension of effectively six months of the parliament is simply not warranted and justified under the current circumstances. Labor were very strong on this in the House of Representatives and in fact opposed this policy of the government, and Labor can speak for itself in this place, but the Greens, as we did in the other place, will be voting against this provision. We believe that the Senate timetable as previously agreed should be maintained and there are mechanisms available if sittings need to be postponed. That deals with clause (a).

I also flag with you, President, that we will be moving amendments to parts (b) and (c) which insert in each part, after the words 'Leader of the Opposition in the Senate', 'and the Leader of the Greens in the Senate'. We are the third party in this place. We are recognised as a party—that is, we have party status, recognised by the parliament—and we believe that our leader in the Senate, Senator Waters, ought to be involved in any discussions or mechanisms covered in part (b) and part (c) of this motion.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I simply make the same request you have had made of you previously. I just note that Labor supported the government's position on this and that it was opposed by the Greens.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. That's exactly my amendment.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, thank you.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to support that as well, please.