Nick McKim Tasmania, Australian Greens
10:39 am
I move:
That the ruling of the President be dissented from.
Scott Ryan President
I will allow that, on the basis that it is a matter of dissent from the chair and I am not in a position to refuse it. This will be the last matter I entertain.
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
I move:
That the question be put.
Nick McKim Tasmania, Australian Greens
I had the call. I did not resume my seat, and I began debate on this motion.
Scott Ryan President
Senator McKim, I'm entertaining this last disruption to the procedure because it pertains to me and I think it would be unreasonable for the chair to not entertain that; I'd be putting myself before the Senate. I had to call the Leader of the Government in the Senate, who takes precedence according to the standing orders. No-one around me is disagreeing with that particular ruling.
Nick McKim Tasmania, Australian Greens
A point of order: I was on my feet. It's not a question of precedence, because I had not resumed my seat after I moved dissent to your ruling. And I remain on my feet, and I don't believe that Senator Cormann can be called, unless it's on a point of order.
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
Dissent to the ruling of the President has to actually be in writing, and I have not seen anything in writing, so it's actually out of order in any event.
Scott Ryan President
On that basis, the motion is out of order—
An honourable senator interjecting—
It hasn't been submitted. Can I add a piece of advice from the Clerk. Under standing order 198, dissent, it is automatically adjourned to the next day unless the Senate decides otherwise. That's never been tried on me, so my apologies for not being familiar with it, Senator McKim.