Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Vice-President of the Executive Council) (09:07): The government won't be supporting this suspension. I will work through some reasons why. As we have seen this morning, and we saw it last night, this is the big fight for those opposite. They will do whatever they can to delay getting to safeguards and dealing with that bill. Let's just be very up-front and open about that. We know what you're doing. It's been clear— Opposition senators interjecting— Senator GALLAGHER: Yes, we'll all sit all night. That's why we set up the hours motion the way we did. That's why we sat until 4.15 this morning. This is a tactic to delay getting to safeguards, firstly. You worked out you can eat in half an hour of time, and then we will go to private senators' business and then we'll get to safeguards and then you'll delay through committee stage. I have no doubt that that is how the day— Opposition senators interjecting— Senator GALLAGHER: Yes, there will be questions and there will be delay. Let's be clear on that. My second point is, we put a motion on the table yesterday. We didn't debate it for three hours; we gave plenty of time. No-one from the opposition came and engaged on that motion with us. That's a decision you obviously took. Sena tor Birmingham: You changed the motion. Senator GALLAGHER: Well, you had no approach to the government about any part of that motion. Now you don't like what's passed, when you didn't engage at all. On the third point— The PRESIDENT: Senator Henderson, on a point of order? Senator Henderson: The standing orders provide that the comments of all senators must be made through the chair. In raising a point of order I would ask you to ask Senator Gallagher not to reflect on me. Thank you. The PRESIDENT: I didn't hear any reflection there, Senator Henderson. Senator Henderson, I'm dealing with your point of order, so please resume your seat. The minister is making general comments. All senators need to listen— Senator McKenzie interjecting— The PRESIDENT: respectfully and quietly, thank you, Senator McKenzie. I will note that when your leader was on his feet there was silence on this side of the chamber. The minute the minister got up the noise began. I already had to call the left of the chamber to order several times. I think the minister is directing her comments to the chair. I will listen carefully, and I thank you for your point of order. Minister, please continue. Senator GALLAGHER: Thank you, President. I deal with a fair level of interjections from those opposite, so thank you for your protection on that. I had noticed that they had been quite disorderly in my original remarks, but thank you very much for drawing that to their attention. My third point is that if there is good progress today in the committee stage, by the time we get to the end of that today— Senator McKenzie: Who judges that? Senator GALLAGHER: That is, if we've dealt with some amendments, we are very open to having private senators' time tomorrow. Honourable senators interjecting— The PRESIDENT: Order. Senator GALLAGHER: Most disorderly. I know we've all been here and we're going to be scratchy today, but I've only got a couple of minutes. If we make good progress—that is, if we are dealing with the amendments and we're not just having a long filibuster from all of those opposite—then we are very open to facilitating private senators' time tomorrow morning. But we are not in a position to make that decision now, because, if we see what we've been advised we will see, you will just take that time tomorrow to delay dealing with safeguards again. So I think it's very reasonable, now that the Senate has expressed a view on the hours motion—which we did when we passed it yesterday—that, if we are able to provide that hour tomorrow and still allow people to put their amendments and have a debate over those amendments, we give you our commitment that we will facilitate that, as a sign of good faith. But we're not at that position yet, because we don't know how today is going to roll. If last night was any kind of measure of how we're going to do that, it's not looking that crash-hot, to be honest. So I would say to those opposite: work with us, even though we accept that you oppose the bill and think the sky is going to fall in and all of what we heard last night. Work with us to facilitate the committee stage, and then there will be no concern at all about private senators' time being facilitated by the government tomorrow. The Senate has taken a view on the motion yesterday that we want to prioritise this bill. We want it put through. We had to put some management around it because we knew that this was not going to be smoothly facilitated through the parliament. No matter how many hours we put on it, we would have been seeing delaying tactics from those opposite. We saw that in the strength of the second reading remarks last night. As I said: engaging with us on the hours motion didn't happen; delaying getting to safeguards today is not a good sign of where we're going to end up; and, if we get to where we need to get to at a reasonable time tonight, then there is no issue. We will absolutely, totally and very happily facilitate private senators' time for the opposition tomorrow. But we also need to make sure that we deal with this bill, that everyone has the opportunity to put their amendments and to have their say, and that we are able to deal with that by 1 pm tomorrow. I think changing the motion in advance of that will put at risk an orderly passage of that bill.