I seek leave to continue my remarks...
Forgotten stories from the Australian Senate

I seek leave to continue my remarks are words spoken when a senator has to stop speaking in a debate but wants to ensure that his or her contribution can be continued at a later time.

In the same vein, this wide-ranging book retells 31 forgotten tales from the Australian Senate and the wider parliamentary world.

While a bill to ban Christmas and reading the Riot Act may predate the Senate, most of the stories retold here are related to the chamber sometimes known as the ‘Red Room’.

Whether it is the Hopetoun Blunder, the Night of the Long Prawns, or candidates at the 1937 Senate election whose surnames all – mysteriously but deliberately – began with the letter A, there is something here for anyone who has ever wondered what makes the Senate tick.

The 31 stories retold here provide a glimpse behind the scenes to complement the official record. 

Published by the Department of the Senate, Canberra, December 2016

Size: 176 x 250mm soft-cover book
Length: 136 pages
ISBN: 9781760104863