Senator SCHACHT (4:42 PM) —I want to get the minister's amendment clear, because I have not seen it. I think I have it right. He is effectively moving the motion on the Notice Paper that Senator Troeth gave notice of yesterday, which was to refer this legislation to the Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 13 May. You have taken what is effectively my (1)(a) down to (2) and added that as the terms of reference. Is that right?

Senator Alston —We are adopting your terms of reference.

Senator SCHACHT —Now that I have seen the amendment and the minister has confirmed it again, it is my motion, with reference to `committee' deleted, `legislation committee' substituted and my date of `30 June' substituted with `13 May'. They are both in Senator Troeth's motion from yesterday on behalf of the government. That means that all my terms of reference stand as far as the legislation is concerned.

I think Senator Alston probably got some information during the last hour or so that I similarly got. In reading the tea leaves of what the numbers may be up here, he knew that my motion was not going to get up and his was not going to get up without my terms of reference being added. Both of us have been around this place long enough to understand that whatever else we may think about these things, that is the best we were both going to get.

I have to concede that I think, on balance, the minister got the better end of the deal than I did on this occasion in negotiations with certain other senators in this place. Be that as it may, to save the time of the Senate, we will not call a division. When you put the question, Madam Acting Deputy President, I want it recorded that we support our own motion and not the amendment.

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT (Senator Crowley) —The question is that the amendment to the motion moved by Senator Alston be agreed to.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT —The question now is that the motion, as amended, be agreed to.

Question resolved in the affirmative.