Artificial Intelligence

Sue Lines

Senator Pocock, you need to seek leave again, because that was a hard marker. We're done and dusted with that.

David Pocock

I seek leave to table a document.

Leave not granted.

I'll do it again then. Pursuant to contingent notice of motion, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me from tabling a document.

Sue Lines

Do you wish to speak to it, or do you want me to put the motion?

David Pocock

I might just finish. I've got a couple of minutes, thanks to the Senate.

Sue Lines

Senator Pocock, I do want to remind you this is a suspension motion, so you can't go to the substantive matters. You need to focus on why it is important that you've moved that motion and what's urgent about it.

David Pocock

For people listening along, the government has told us many times that they respect copyright. That they want to look after creatives whose income and work is what they've written, what they've recorded—

Sue Lines

I'm going to remind you again: it is about your reasons for suspending.

David Pocock

And this is exactly why I'm suspending—

Sue Lines

You're not in a debate with me, Senator. But you've moved to suspend business so that you can deal with this. You need to tell my why it's important. I don't mind the odd sentence about the substantive matter, but this is a suspension motion. It is not about the substantive matter.

David Pocock

I'm suspending to try and table a document that shows that the government, in consultation—

Sue Lines

Just a moment, Senator Pocock. I've got Senator Sheldon on his feet.

Tony Sheldon

Just as a point of order, it's normal for correspondence and documents that are wanted to be handed up to be given to both parties. We haven't seen the document that we're referring to.

Sue Lines

That is true, but that's a debating point. You will recall the Deputy President invited Senator Pocock to share the information that he wants to table.

David Pocock

I'm trying to table this information from a government consultation which basically goes against everything that they've told us publicly. It flips the protection on copyright—

Sue Lines

Once again, Senator Pocock, I'm going to remind you that it is about the suspension.

David Pocock

I'm suspending to table this. Is that not—

Sue Lines

Yes, but you need to explain to the Senate why it's important for your suspension to get up, not to debate the substantive matter.

David Pocock

Okay. I'm trying to explain that it's important that I suspend so I can table this information so the Senate can actually see what the government's doing, because the government publicly is telling us one thing, but, in consultation, is presenting a solution which is not that thing. I think we have a Senate that would like to back our creatives and would like to back the people who have told—

Sue Lines

Senator Pocock, please resume your seat. Senator Chisholm, why are you on your feet?

Anthony Chisholm

He's not following the direction from the chair. He could've actually consulted with us about this—

Sue Lines

We're going to the substantive matter. I will remind you, Senator Pocock, once again to focus on the suspension.

Senator Lambie, come to order.

Jacqui Lambie

Let him table the document!

Sue Lines

Order! Order across the chamber.

Hon. Senators

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines

Senator Chisholm! Order! Senator Lambie, take note. I am standing because you are out of order.

No, Senator Lambie.

Senator Lambie, resume your seat. I will name you. Senator Duniam.

Jonathon Duniam

On a point of order, I'm just seeking some clarification. I'm just wondering whether it is the case that, if the document was circulated in the ordinary way and the government were able to look at it, we might then be able to seek to—

Sue Lines

Thank you for that help, Senator Duniam. I will remind you that the Deputy President invited Senator Pocock to share the document with the whips, so he's already had that invitation.

David Pocock

President, given how upset some colleagues are with using the standing orders, we might just put the question and get this done.

Sue Lines

Thank you, Senator Pocock. Senator Chisholm, you're speaking to the motion.

Anthony Chisholm

Yes.

Sue Lines

Senator Pocock, I'm informed you can't move that the question be put on your own motion. I call Senator Chisholm.

Anthony Chisholm

This matter isn't urgent and Senator Pocock never put forward any coherent argument about why this matter urgently needs to be dealt with now. The fact of the matter is he knows the procedure that people go through to table documents. It's actually not that hard to do, but this is the second week in a row that Senator Pocock has ignored that because he's more interested in using this to do a stunt and get a social media video. We know what motivates him. It's actually quite easy to do this if you want to do it properly. Senator Pocock hasn't done it properly for the second week in a row.

Sue Lines

Senator Lambie, if you don't come to order, I will name you. I've warned you. It's the standing orders. You don't stand up and yell out like that. If I don't notice you, the Clerk will draw it to my attention.

Jacqui Lambie

I raise a point of order on relevance.

Sue Lines

Senator Chisholm is speaking to the reasons around a suspension.

Anthony Chisholm

As I was saying, Senator Pocock knows the procedure that people go through in these matters. It's not that hard to do. Most of the senators in the chamber comply with it—and it's just a bit of courtesy, to be honest, about treating each other with respect in how documents are tabled. I encourage Senator Pocock to move away from the stunts that he seems prone to want to do and just treat the chamber with the respect that so many other senators are happy to show when it comes to the tabling of documents.

Sue Lines

The question is that the suspension motion as moved by Senator David Pocock be agreed to.