Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Families and Social Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the days of meeting of the Senate for 2022 be as follows:

Autumn sittings:

Tuesday, 8 February to Thursday, 10 February

Budget sittings:

Tuesday, 29 March and Wednesday, 30 March

Winter sittings:

Monday, 9 May to Thursday, 12 May

Monday, 16 May to Thursday, 19 May

Tuesday, 7 June to Thursday, 9 June

Monday, 20 June to Thursday, 23 June

Monday, 27 June to Thursday, 30 June

Spring sittings:

Tuesday, 9 August to Thursday, 11 August

Monday, 15 August to Thursday, 18 August

Monday, 5 September to Thursday, 8 September

Monday, 12 September to Thursday, 15 September

Monday, 17 October to Thursday, 20 October

Monday, 21 November to Thursday, 24 November

Monday, 28 November to Thursday, 1 December.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move an amendment to the motion and to make a short statement of no more than two minutes.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've sought leave to move the amendment, and I've also sought leave for a two-minute statement.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is leave granted?

I believe leave has been granted to move the amendment, but leave has not been granted for the two-minute statement. You have leave for one minute, Senator Waters.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. I move:

Insert:

Monday, 28 February to Thursday, 3 March

Tuesday, 8 March to Thursday 10 March

We have moved to add two sitting weeks to this pathetic Senate sitting calendar, which has barely any sitting days in it at all. It is a record-low number of sitting days. We could be debating and passing ICAC legislation. We could be debating and passing legislation to give effect to the Jenkins recommendations. But this Prime Minister, who has set this flaccid calendar, can't face the wrath of the chamber and doesn't have a legislative agenda, and that's why the government have listed barely any sitting days. It's absolutely shameless. We are seeking support from the chamber for the chamber to do its job: to sit and consider legislation and debate it. We've just seen a gag rammed through where we couldn't debate anything. We want some more sitting days so we can do our job: anticorruption legislation and the Jenkins recommendations. Let's do our job. (Time expired)

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

Mr President, can I seek leave to make a short statement?

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

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

I put on the record that Labor won't be supporting Senator Waters's amendment, but we do have sympathy for it. But Labor has taken the position, as a convention of this place—just referring to the previous matter—

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is someone on their feet, I assume on a point of order?

Ben Small (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order, Mr President. I do apologise to Senator Gallagher for interrupting, but Senator Thorpe just made the most outrageous statement directed at Senator Hughes, which you probably didn't hear. But in the scheme of disgusting statements made in this chamber, that surely ranks at the top of them.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Small, I obviously did not hear the statement. Senator Thorpe—

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm happy to retract, Mr President. I just got a view of something over there that disturbed me. But I'm happy to retract.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hughes, Senator Thorpe has retracted whatever statement she made. I think we should move on.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! It's the end of a long week; I understand that. Let's try to keep the chamber moving.

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

I was just making the point that Labor has always taken the view that the sitting program is the government's to determine, which is why we won't be supporting your amendment, even though we have sympathy, and we acknowledge that the government have a very low number of sitting days for this chamber because they have lost control of it. But I would point out the purpose of convention in this place to allow the smooth operating of this chamber, and I urge the government to consider that in light of the request that Senator O'Neill made about the previous matter before you, Mr President.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement for less than a minute.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I cannot believe you people over here. You were down in the lower house going on and on about the Prime Minister and those sitting weeks. We have all this stuff that needs to go through. What are you so concerned about? Is the election that important to you? You buy your seats anyway; you don't earn them. I cannot believe that Tony Burke is down there being a Twitter sensation. Well, take this Twitter! You are full of it. You don't want extra sitting weeks. This is embarrassing for you. You should be doing the right thing. We get paid to sit in here and get the job done. It is an absolutely disgraceful performance by Labor. If we want those extra two sitting weeks, get it done!

Rex Patrick (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Rex Patrick (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would just encourage Labor to support this amendment. I take the point that Senator Gallagher has made about the government control of the Senate. But, of course, we suspend standing orders from time to time. We seek to do that when things are important. Indeed, this is not disorderly; it's simply amending a motion that would permit more sitting days and more scrutiny of government. I urge the government to change their position.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to make a few points here. We as the opposition and in government over decades have taken the view that the government of the day has the right to set the parliamentary sitting schedule. That is the position that we have consistently taken. So the position that we are demonstrating today is no different to the position that successive Senate delegations—

I am happy to take the interjection, Senator Lambie. What I would say to you is this: we do have a view that this chamber should be run differently. We do have a view that a government should legislate on the things that matter. We do have a view about actually having a government with an agenda. What we say is: elect a Labor government. Elect a Labor government and then we will put forward a Senate program—

With respect, Senator Patrick, you've voted with the government on many pieces of legislation over many years.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand that people are tired, and I understand that this has been difficult, but I would say— (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong, the time has expired. If you want to seek leave—

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would seek leave to finish the point.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Senate. I will make a point about conventions. This place is about the management, in many ways, of conflict and different views about how this country should be run. Part of how we manage and contain some of this conflict is by the observation of conventions. They include things like ministerial accountability, the pairing arrangements and the recommittal of votes. There's a whole range of things, and this is one of them. It is not about ceding control of the chamber; it is about recognising the role of executive government in a Westminster system, because we are also a party of government and we seek to change the country by changing the government.

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a one-minute statement.

Leave granted.

I wish to make two points. One is in relation to the sitting calendar, to acknowledge that it is a replication of the 2019 sitting calendar, in terms of accommodating the delivery of a budget in a normal way and enabling the preparation of that budget, but it does identify, of course, the sittings right throughout the course of the year. We all know there will be an election at some stage; however, our intention is fully to deliver upon those sittings and to get the parliament back as quickly as possible if we are in a position to do so.

The second point is to acknowledge, as Senator Wong just highlighted, the importance of conventions—the convention of the government establishing the sitting program and of supporting that approach. That is a convention the Liberal and National parties have supported and will continue to support.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I would like to belatedly add Senator Patrick's name to my amendment.

Leave granted.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the amendment moved by Senator Waters to government business motion No. 1 be agreed to.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will now put the substantive motion.

Question agreed to.