P377 said:
It's a shame the senate was empty, devoid of other interested parties, media or even pot plants!
I'll have a look for the pot plants next time I make it to the front row of the public gallery
, but the media and the other Senators all have live video feeds to their offices, normally one for them and one for their advisers, to keep track of what has become
a process of reading statements into Hansard and onto the public TV feeds.
Nobody needs to be in the chamber unless they want to participate in the debate or a division is required to vote on a motion. A hell of a lot of meetings and parliamentary work gets done outside the Chamber and sitting hours.
I reckon it is advantageous if the Senate is empty - there is no dissent, points of order, etc and if one of the party hacks is detailed off to refute something, they have to do it separately with fewer surprises.