Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

As keen as I am to hear from Senator Boyle today, the Labour Party's numbers in this House indicate we should have precedence in terms of speaking rights.

I welcome the announcement made by the Green Party on Sunday that it intended to withdraw from the coalition Government. It was not before time and it is something we all welcome, particularly the people. It signals the end of one of the worst Governments in the history of the country. I know the Green Party Members personally will be disappointed and while I have come to respect each of the Green Party Senators in this House in their own right and appreciate the work they have done as individual Members of the House, they will be disappointed that they have not managed to get the climate change legislation and the mayoral Bill through the House. They will be disappointed also that they have not managed to legislate for corporate donations. When they look back on this period, they will see it as a futile attempt to be at the heart of government. I am sure there are many disappointments in that regard, but the big news is that at last we will get a chance to go before the people to elect a new Government. I can assure Members on both sides of the House that when it comes to climate change legislation or issues concerning civil partnership, my party will place them to the fore of our policies. While we fully intend to put the country back to work, it is not just about economic development for us. It is about making sure we reform the whole system in terms of how we run the country. That is what we will do if given the chance.

With regard to one of these issues, I ask the Leader to accept an amendment to the Order of Business to allow us to publish the whistleblowers legislation. This issue will be at the heart of our programme for the next Government and we intend to give it an airing in the House tomorrow evening during Private Members' time. I ask the Leader to accept an amendment in order that the Bill can be published.