It is proposed to order Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 on the Order Paper. The question of the order in which they will be taken is a little complicated. No. 1 will be taken first and No. 2 will be taken second. Due to the non-availability of the Ministers responsible, No. 4 will be taken not earlier than 2 p.m. and No. 5 not earlier than 4.30 p.m. If Nos. 1 and 2 are completed before Ministers are available for Nos. 4 and 5, then No. 3 will be taken.
Order of Business.
I wonder would the Leader tell me when it is proposed to take the Committee Stage of the Harbours Bill? It is quite a detailed, complicated and controversial Bill.
Before the Leader answers I should like to indicate that I will be putting down amendments to this Bill, that is, if the Minister has not got the good sense to do so before then. Unlike Senator Ferris, I intend to do the business in here and not out in other places. I presume that we are not taking all Stages of the Harbours Bill today? I am sure my close colleague from Clare would not be agreeable to taking all Stages of that Bill today either. Perhaps the Minister will come in with the amendments. I am sure Senator Howard has brought him up to date. I will not agree today to taking all Stages of this Bill if I have the permission of my Leader in the House in that respect.
I understand that there is some possibility of the Committee Stage of the Harbours Bill being taken today. I see the Leader of the House indicating to me that it will not be taken. I am glad to hear that because we do need time between Second Stage and Committee stage of that Bill.
I would like to assure all Members who expressed anxiety that there never was any intention to take other than the Second Stage. The length of the debates that have been going on in the House now has reduced quite substantially the optimism of the Leader of the House in regard to the amount of business that can be done in a day. The only point which needs to be considered, and should be considered, is whether it could be taken tomorrow. I would ask Senators who are contemplating amendments to consider that question during the day and discuss it with me. It might help the House to clear the business it has if we took it late on the order, say, tomorrow afternoon. If the Senators wish to have longer time, I will not press that point. We can leave it over to next Tuesday or Wednesday.
There are two minor points. A long time ago we agreed that we would be taking No. 6 with No. 5 in a single debate. I forgot to mention this on the Order of Business, so I suggest that it be added.
The other point is in regard to the question as to whether we are to suspend our sitting temporarily for meals. I would prefer to let this be a matter for decision during the day. We will see what progress we have made by 12.30 p.m. and what point of business we are at, and equally at 5.30 p.m.
On the point in connection with the Harbours Bill, there is no way that we would like to see that Bill proceed to completion tomorrow. Because of certain implications which have arisen in the last few days, we would need the weekend to consider that Bill and then we could take the next Stage next week.
Order of Business agreed to.