Senator BROWN(9.20 p.m.) —I oppose this motion. As I said earlier, it is quite wrong because of a hiatus in government business—although more than 50 pieces of legislation are slated to be debated in the Senate—to bring on the Euthanasia Laws Bill, the debate of which territorians are waiting to listen to tomorrow night. As Senator Collins has just said, Senator Harradine was wrong in saying that they can listen to it tonight. They cannot because this debate is not being beamed to the territory. A very special effort has been made to ensure that territorians could listen to this piece of legislation when debated by the Senate tomorrow, the next night and the night after that.

It is quite wrong and it is patronising to the people of the territory for Senator Abetz to get up and say, `Well, they can read it in Hansard.' It is totally patronising to the people in the territory who want to see their euthanasia laws protected and who are vitally concerned about the debate. If those people in the corridors saying that the Andrews bill will get through are correct, surely the territorians have the right to listen to the reasons for that event occurring in this place.

Let us go back to the cause of this hiatus tonight: the government has not been able to get one piece of legislation, out of 50, ready to be debated here. I reiterate: the Telstra bill connected with money for the environment was being debated here a fortnight ago. It was taken off because the government would be debating or negotiating the matter with the Democrats. The fortnight has now passed, so why can't it be brought back on? I suggest that it cannot be brought back on because the Leader of the Government in the Senate (Senator Hill) is not here. And, because he is not here, the Euthanasia Laws Bill will be shoved on and accelerated forward.

Let me categorically reject the suggestion, which I have heard a couple of times from those opposite, that I will do anything to delay the Euthanasia Laws Bill. It will be debated in the next few nights. I will not stop that. I will take my part and my constituency seriously in having input to that debate. But, like Senator Collins, I am aware also that there is an inordinate rush to bring on this mightily important piece of conscience legislation to get it through this place as fast as possible—and override the Northern Territory laws as far as possible.

Tonight that rush is becoming unseemly and reprehensible. The people of the territory deserve to be given more consideration by the Senate. I submit that the people of this country deserve to be given a better go by the Senate. I think it is quite wrong that, because the government is so inept as to not have one of those 50 pieces of legislation ready for debate, it now wants to break an agreement, a general arrangement which was agreed to by all parties in this place, and rush on this euthanasia legislation in a time slot where the start of this very important debate cannot be heard by Northern Territorians. It is very wrong, it is totally inconsiderate and, if allowed to happen, it will leave a pretty black mark against the government.

There will be a conscience vote on this matter. However, I appeal to members of the Senate: in voting on this motion, consider those people who are not being heard and who cannot hear what is going on here tonight—and they are the people of the Northern Territory, who above all ought to be given our consideration and ought be able to hear the debate about a matter which is so important to them.