Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the following from occurring in relation to proceedings on an item of private Members' business, Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022:

(1) the order of the day for resumption of debate on the second reading of the bill being called on immediately;

(2) debate to continue for no longer than two hours, with debate then being adjourned, the bill made an order of the day for the next sitting and referred to the Federation Chamber for further consideration;

(3) the second reading of the bill having priority over government business in the Federation Chamber, with the exception of the grievance debate, until no further Members rise to speak;

(4) the bill then being returned to the House for consideration of the remaining stages immediately, or otherwise as ordered; and

(5) any variation to this arrangement being made only on a motion moved by a Minister.

In moving this motion, I take this opportunity to provide the House with some guidance on the week ahead and where I think sittings are likely to be. I have provided most of this information to both the Manager of Opposition Business and to the crossbench. But just to be able to provide it generally, first of all, if this motion is carried, which I certainly hope it is, we will then go immediately into debate on the private member's bill, the Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022. That is designated for two hours of debate. If we run out of speakers in those two hours, we will not go to a vote. The private member's bill will be referred to the Federation Chamber, and that will basically take up government business time for the Federation Chamber for the rest of the week.

There is a strong view that has been held in this place for a long time that for conscience votes every member who wants to speak should have the opportunity to do so. We may well get through the speakers this week in the Federation Chamber. If we do, it will come down here for a vote. But if we require more time when we come back for the next sitting fortnight, it will continue to be listed until we've got through all the speakers. If we run short on speakers today and we don't fill the two hours, as may occur, I would suggest then—although indulgence is completely within the realm of the Speaker—that further statements on indulgence following the death of Archie Roach might be an appropriate use of the chamber before we return to the address in reply where there are some further first speeches.

Tomorrow morning there are two bills we are trying to get across to the Senate fairly quickly that at the moment there are almost no speakers on and that's obviously because the Senate is waiting for business to come from the chamber. I'm hoping to get both the Australian Human Rights Commission Legislation Amendment (Selection and Appointment) Bill 2022 and the Treasury Laws Amendment (2022 Measures No. 1) Bill 2022 across before question time. I suspect the Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Repeal of Cashless Debit Card and Other Measures) Bill 2022 will be contentious but the there is a time constraint on us for this which—

Alan Tudge (Aston, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm explaining. I'm doing something you haven't seen for nine years.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Aston.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time constraint is the bill itself includes a deadline for abolition. Because of the nature of this card, there are people with Afterpay accounts connected to them. So if it is to be abolished, the Senate will need to deal with it in the following sitting fortnight. For those who follow closely the Senate agenda, which I haven't done previously in my life, but I'm doing now, they principally do their government business on a Monday. So I will be hoping to get that through tomorrow. I will be looking at the speaking list. If the speaking list is long, rather than gag the debate, I will declare the bill urgent and we will have a vote as to whether or not that is the case. I remind people—

David Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's a gag by a fancy name.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If you'd rather I simply move that the question be put, the option is always there. But that would mean, once again, while speeches would continue until 10 pm, after 6.30 pm, there would be no further divisions. While the standing orders do permit that a motion can still be moved by a minister, I can assure the House that will not occur.

The following day during this fortnight we want to get the climate bills through, so it is our intention that on Wednesday the climate bills will go through the House. There has been a request that that not be done by the bill being declared urgent, and on that basis I will circulate to the opposition later today a proposed debate management bill that I intend to put on the Notice Paper for either Tuesday or Wednesday to manage the debate of that bill. Once again, we're trying to draw a balance between providing the best opportunity we can when legislation needs to get across to the Senate for people to speak, while also being very conscious of the issues of sitting hours around the Jenkins report.

With that said, the only question in front of us right now is the suspension of standing orders to allow the private member's bill to be able to be brought on immediately and then to go to the Federation Chamber for the rest of the week.

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Speaking to the motion, I simply make this brief point: last week we were told that this new process in terms of urgent motions was something that would be used in extreme circumstances and only with the best of all possible faith in this new, kinder, gentler parliament that we apparently are all enjoying. But just one week later—indeed, only about two or three sitting days later—what do you know! It turns out that the government does need to use this new urgent bill procedure. I confidently predict to the House and to the Australian people that we will see this being done a lot.

Don't judge them by what they say; judge them by what they do. What we are seeing here is a government that is determined to ram matters through this House of Representatives as quickly as it can. It's cloaked it with some apparatus which suggests that it is in some way a kinder, gentler approach to compulsion. That is not an accurate description of the facts, ladies and gentlemen. Judge them by how they behave and not by what they say.

Question agreed to.