COMMITTEES

Senator SCARR (Queensland—Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) (11:37): I seek leave to make a short statement. The PRESIDENT: Leave is granted for one minute. Senator SCARR: Given what happened in relation to the last motion, where Labor and the Greens combined to crunch the coalition and deprive the committee of considering a matter of great importance to the Australian people, the coalition will be taking a stand on this motion and opposing it.

We believe that the dealings between the Greens and the Labor Party are compromising the running of this institution to consider matters of great concern to the Australian people, including in relation to the announcement made regarding the importation of beef from the United States, which has its source in both Canada and Mexico. So we will resist Labor and the Greens seeking to crunch the coalition, and seeking to thereby crunch the operation of this institution, and we will oppose.

The PRESIDENT: The question is that business of the Senate notice of motion No. 3, standing in the name of Senator Hanson-Young, be agreed to.