Wednesday 3 April 2019

Hansard of the Legislative Council
SUSPENSION OF SITTING

Mr FINCH (Rosevears) - Mr President, I hear what the member for Huon says - we have to be cognisant of occupational health and safety and the safety of people who have to travel at night. 

I thought last night's finishing at about 10 o'clock was elegant sufficiency as far as the day was concerned.  It was reasonably productive and that might be some sort of suitable time to adjourn, but I am also of a mind to accommodate the Leader with her request about this electoral bill.  We need to be as considerate as we possibly can be in respect of the efficacy in the way we go about our business here.  I would like to see us deal with that bill straight after dinner break.  Then it behoves others to move as efficiently as we can through the next stage of our amendments to ensure we are able to conclude tomorrow.  By the same token, I am prepared to continue on into the evening tomorrow to make sure we conclude this process.

Mr GAFFNEY (Mersey) - Mr President, I hear what the Leader is saying.  I would like to continue with the marriage bill we have before us.  We had a briefing this morning on the electoral bill and now we are supposed to deal with that bill on the same day we have had a briefing because it has to be done by tomorrow.  That is bad planning.  Who would ever expect we would have to deal with a bill in one day, have the briefing, get it done so the Government can meet their deadlines by tomorrow? That is not how this place should work.  I would be more than happy to continue with the marriage bill, then tomorrow, once we finish that bill, we can deal with the electoral bill and if there is an issue there.

We were told the marriage bill had to be done by 9 December 2018 - had to be finished by then - and then we had an extension to when we returned on 19 March 2019, so I would be happy to continue.  I take on board the point raised by the member for Huon, but I would be more than happy to finish the marriage bill and sit late tomorrow, if we have to finish the electoral bill.  There is no way in this place that we should have a briefing and then have to deal with the bill on the same day.  That is not cricket