Senator O'BRIEN (9:41 AM) —I would like to respond to the invitation from the Manager of Government Business in the Senate, Senator Campbell. Senator Campbell has been in this place much longer than I have and I presume understands the forms of this place better, given that he is Manager of Government Business. I presume he would therefore know that a general business motion is not debated as a matter of formality. Whilst I agree with part of his recitation as to our policy, what he should understand is that we do not have a means of guaranteeing that this matter will actually be voted upon expeditiously unless we go through the process of asking for formality, as has been done this morning. The fact that the government has denied formality allows for it to be debated. But where we are seeking to pursue a motion it is entirely consistent with our policy to ask that it be debated. The government has denied formality. It will be debated. It is a foreign affairs motion. So there is absolutely nothing inconsistent with the actions this morning and our stated policy.

I understood that the government would oppose this motion today and Senator Cook has proceeded to the point that we are now at in seeking suspension. I will not detail the reasons for urgency, because I do not understand that the urgency motion is in fact opposed; I am simply responding to Senator Campbell's request for me to detail our position. As I have explained, this is absolutely consistent with Labor's position in relation to foreign affairs motions.