Senator FAULKNER (Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (3:46 PM) —by leave—I think there is some good sense in what Senator Humphries has said, but I also accept the general approach to postponements that works cooperatively around the chamber. My expectation is that this matter will come on tomorrow. I think the original postponement was effective as of tomorrow—I can be corrected if I am wrong about that—but Senator Brown has given notification of a further postponement and that is the issue which should be before the chamber today.

It seems to me that the sensible thing to do here, without wasting an inordinate amount of time, is for Senator Brown, if it were able to be done by leave, to withdraw the notification of this current postponement. This would mean effectively that a question for postponement will come back before the chamber tomorrow. You can correct me if I am wrong, Mr President, and no doubt you will quickly do so, but I think my understanding is correct. I know that Senator Lundy, as well as Senator Humphries and Senator Brown, has an interest in this and there may be a way that it can be worked through to see agreement being reached. Hence, the delay may well only be 24 hours, which is probably acceptable.

I think the general point made by Senator Humphries has substance and I think the chamber needs to take account of that. But surely, without getting into a long drawn out, knockdown debate about this now, the sensible way would be for Senator Brown to agree to withdraw the notification before the chair and see if it can be worked through to agreement to bring on the debate at the earliest possible opportunity. If it cannot be agreed, obviously we can go to determining the matter substantively tomorrow. That is my suggestion to the chamber through you, Mr President, which I think might be a sensible way of dealing with this. At worst, it is only delaying this matter for final determination tomorrow as opposed to today, but it may be able to be agreed upon amongst senators in the chamber. If it finds favour with the government as well, it seems to be a sensible way through in this circumstance. We are expecting the postponement to come before us tomorrow anyway. Senator Brown's notification has brought forward the matter to today that we were expecting to deal with tomorrow. If that is withdrawn, we can deal with the matter, as I understand it, and there would be the substantive question of dealing with that tomorrow. With a bit of luck and a little bit of goodwill, perhaps we can work that through in a cooperative way.

The PRESIDENT —Senator Faulkner, if Senator Brown were to withdraw, by leave, his notification today, he would then be able to put a motion for postponement tomorrow. The situation is that if the notification is withdrawn the matter will come up tomorrow; if it is not withdrawn it will come up in November.

Senator FAULKNER —With due respect, Mr President, you have put quite succinctly what I was putting not so succinctly.