Senator JOYCE (Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) (10:04 AM) —Mr President, I—

Senator Hutchins interjecting—

Senator JOYCE —Thank you for calling me the oracle, Senator Hutchins. I appreciate that.

The PRESIDENT —Senator Joyce, are you seeking leave to make a statement?

Senator JOYCE —Yes, I am seeking leave to make a short statement.

The PRESIDENT —Leave is granted for two minutes.

Senator JOYCE —The coalition may agree with compensation for landholders but, unless we know what has happened in paragraph (c), we can hardly allow paragraph (b) to go forward. Having these as three separate items, to be honest makes them nonsensical. How do you believe in compensation when you have not actually determined whether they deserve it yet?

The PRESIDENT —I do not become involved in the merits of the debate; I become involved in the process question of putting this matter before the chamber.

Senator Faulkner —Mr President, I have a point of order that might assist. Given that Senator Xenophon proposed a procedural mechanism which you rightly, in my view, ruled he was not able to move because of the question before the chair, I suggest it would nevertheless be perfectly reasonable for you to indicate to the Senate that it would be your intention under standing order 84(3) to put all parts of the motion separately if you wished to do so. I do not know if that assists or not, but it is certainly competent for you as President to do that without the necessity, if you like, of the procedural device that Senator Xenophon proposed. I do not know if that helps or not, but the spirit of my proposing it is to try to assist.

The PRESIDENT —The only way in which that would happen would be if Senator Colbeck were to withdraw his amendment and I do not think, looking at Senator Colbeck, that is likely to happen. I will let Senator Colbeck speak for himself.

Senator Colbeck —Mr President, on the point of order: in effect that is what you are doing but we are voting on it in reverse. I think your approach is actually doing that. Agreement from me as the mover is another matter. You are effectively doing that anyway but it will just be reflected in the votes on the floor as we go through the process. Let us get on with it.

The PRESIDENT —The question now is that paragraph (a) be removed from motion No. 72 moved by Senator Bob Brown.

Question put.