Collins, Sen Jacinta

Senator JACINTA COLLINS (Victoria—Acting Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) (18:30): Mr President, in terms of the process you just outlined, what were the questions that you indicated you would put up first? The PRESIDENT: I'm about to read out the ones that were before the chair earlier today. I will now go through the amendments by sheet and by number as I put them to the chamber, starting with the ones that were already moved before the chair in the committee stage. The question is that amendment Nos (3) to (8), (10) and (12) to (15) on sheet 8441, moved by Senator Storer, be agreed to. Senator Collins? Senator JACINTA COLLINS: Just so that we can be clear—and I understand there's no debate, discussion or the like on the actual amendments—I think it's important for senators, particularly in circumstances where we don't have a committee consideration, to understand what the question actually is before us. The point you made earlier was that you were proceeding with those questions that had already been moved in the limited debate that we had— The PRESIDENT: The ones that were before the chair. Senator JACINTA COLLINS: So, looking at the running sheet and comparing that with the revised running sheet—and thank you to the clerks for providing it—Senator Storer's amendments, the ones that have already been moved, are (3) to (8), (10) and (12) to (15). Senator Storer's amendment (1) is not being moved at this stage; is that correct? The PRESIDENT: The amendments that you just read out, and that I just read out, are the ones that had been moved and were before the chair in the committee stage earlier today. They are the ones that will be put first, and then I will work through a sheet that has been provided with other amendments that were circulated but were not before the chair. Senator JACINTA COLLINS: Mr President, for clarity purposes and also for Senator Storer, in order for us to understand which of his amendments are the ones he moved earlier, and for what purpose, it might be necessary for the clerks to actually read the amendments so we know what we're really dealing with. The PRESIDENT: I have just taken some advice from the Clerk, which confirms my past experience that, where amendments have been circulated in the chamber—and these were before the chair and well circulated—there is not a need to read them out. There is no doubt about what the matter we are dealing with is. Senator JACINTA COLLINS: The difficulty I have with the difference here is that the Clerk's advised you on how matters would be dealt with under normal circumstances, which is not what we're dealing with here. We're dealing with an artificial distinction between amendments that have been previously moved and the ones that haven't yet been dealt with. In the case of Senator Storer, for instance, he has only now started to understand that, in terms of the batching of his issues— The PRESIDENT: Senator Collins, I was referring to my own experience of when the Senate has adopted this procedure that I am now bound by, which is to put these votes without debate or discussion. I've made a ruling in respect of there being no need to read the amendments out. I have allowed you to put your point. I've made my ruling. I'm now going to put the question, because that is what the Senate has directed me to do—to put these motions without debate or discussion. So the question is—and I'll read it again—that amendment Nos (3) to (8), (10) and (12) to (15) on sheet 8441, moved by Senator Storer, be agreed to. Senator JACINTA COLLINS: Mr President, just further to that, can I then clarify in respect of Senator Storer's amendments, for example, when in this process he would be moving amendment (1). The PRESIDENT: We will go through the other amendments in an order that I have been provided with. They will all be voted on by the Senate. Even if they were not before the chair, all the amendments will be voted on by the Senate in an order starting now. Senator JACINTA COLLINS: So, if they're on the running sheet they have been moved, but senators are able to withdraw if that's their want? The PRESIDENT: I will restate it and I'll make it very clear. The first set of amendments are the ones that were moved by Senator Storer earlier today and were before the chair at the time. Then we will proceed through other matters. But I'm going to put that question now. I'm not going to read them out four times every time. I'll do it again now. The question is that amendment numbers (3) to (8), (10) and (12) to (15) on sheet 8441, moved by Senator Storer, be agreed to.