Mr ABBOTT (Leader of the House) (9:48 PM) —On indulgence, Mr Deputy Speaker—I apologise to the member for Rankin—the latest advice that I have from the Senate is that we in this place are unlikely to receive any message from the Senate this side of midnight. So what I am proposing to do, with the agreement of members, is to adjourn once this bill and the cognate bill are dealt with. Then we will come back at nine o'clock in the morning. I thought that for the information of members, particularly members opposite, I should let them know that if we can deal quickly with this bill and the related legislation we will get out of here, get a reasonable night's sleep and then come back and conclude our work tomorrow. That is the good news. The bad news is that I do not expect that we will finish until early tomorrow afternoon.

Mrs Crosio —Two or three o'clock—when?

Mr ABBOTT —Madam Chief Opposition Whip, as you know, if I knew what was going to happen in the Senate I would be a much wiser and more knowledgeable man than any of us in this House! That is the advice I got from the Senate. When I put this very question to them, `Can you give us an indication of when we might all be able to get away?' I was told early afternoon—1.30 or two o'clock; that was the speculation from the Senate. So for the information of members opposite I provide that detail. I wish it were otherwise but we are in their hands. At least when this bill and the cognate bill are dealt with we ought to be able to get up tonight and have a decent night's sleep.