BUSINESS

Senator GALLAGHER (Australian Capital Territory—Minister for Finance, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Women, Minister for Government Services and Manager of Government Business in the Senate) (10:11): The government won't be supporting the suspension motion moved by Senator Steele-John this morning. We do believe that it is time now for the second reading debate to start on this bill and continue, and, by my looking at the speakers list, that's the debate that will take most of the day.

This is an important piece of legislation. The government does not support the discharge of this bill. In terms of ensuring the NDIS remains sustainable over time and is there to support the participants that it was originally intended to support, this bill has to be dealt with by the Senate this week.

We don't support the suspension that seeks to discharge this bill. There has been an extensive committee inquiry. There have been significant stakeholder consultations led by my colleagues Senator McAllister and Minister Butler, and those consultations will continue as the reforms to the NDIS roll through.

But this is not something we can support today. I move: That the question be put. The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The question is that the question be put.