Senator SHORT (Assistant Treasurer)(9.41 a.m.) —I can advise Senator Bolkus that we are prepared to see the motion put formally but we will vote against it because we believe that the government's proposal is entirely a minor mechanical issue. It has nothing to do with policy issues at all. To disallow in the way that the opposition is doing, we believe, is either wasting the Senate's time or proving to the Australian people that Labor is not prepared to cooperate even on the simplest mechanical procedural issues in the Senate. We do not want to prolong the debate. That is not going to achieve anything in the long run. So for that reason we will not seek to debate it. We will support it being declared formal but we will vote against it.