Home - Claire Moore - Labor Senator for Queensland

BUSINESS - Consideration of Legislation

Senator MOORE (Queensland) (16:50): We will be supporting this amendment, though we find it extremely strange that Senator Simms could be claiming total ownership of marriage equality. I have spoken many times in this place about these significant issues. Many senators feels very strongly on them, and we all have a record of speaking in this place. Check the Hansard about what people have said in this place. I think that would be useful.

We are also particularly interested-and Senator Wong will be taking on this issue-that we now have the Greens telling Labor what our private senators' business should be. That has never happened in this place before. There is negotiation, discussion. I do not believe that was discussed openly in the yelling across the chamber that occurred in this morning's debate. Greens, if you are wanting to take our private senators' business, perhaps a simple contact would have been useful. We have never done that to you, ever, in terms of the process of private senators' business. I know that Senator Wong will be taking further discussion of this process, but it is a sorry day that people actually lay claim to being the owners of any form of social policy.