Minutes spent on one second debate

The Senate is facing a huge workload ahead of the winter break, but senators have found the time for a passionate debate about one second.

There's a long list of bills to deal with before parliament breaks at the end of next week and the government wants the Senate to get cracking.

But senators spent valuable time arguing about what should happen in the one second remaining on the clock during a minister's answer in question time on Wednesday.

The clock was stopped because a point of order was called by Liberal senator Mitch Fifield.

Five senators spoke on the topic of the final second, taking up more than two minutes of the Senate's time.

"To call a point of order with one second to go ... actually indicates that (Senator Fifield) has lost the plot," said Chris Evans, the government's leader in the Senate.

Eventually the speaker was given the final second back, in which he managed to cram three words.

17 Jun 2009

VERY disturbing that these 'minds' are in charge of our destiny.