Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a third time.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that this bill be now read a third time. The Manager of Opposition Business?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Members for Macarthur, Ballarat, Newcastle, Blair, Lalor, Brand, Kingston, Bendigo, Lingiari, Parramatta, Corangamite, Forrest and Calare from speaking for a period of no more than 15 minutes on the bill's third reading.

This debate was unacceptably cut short—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, the Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. Members, I have a difficulty with this—

Ms Chesters interjecting—

The member for Bendigo has already been ejected today. Members can cease giving me advice by way of interjection.

I have a difficulty with this suspension motion because it is not being moved between items of business. I am prepared to—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, we regularly have procedural suspensions of standing orders, but the ruling within practice is: they must relate to the business before the House. We ordinarily deal with suspensions between items because they are suspensions of standing orders that do not relate to what is before the House at that moment. Right at this moment, what is before the House is that the bill be read a third time. The suspension that I have moved goes only to the order of debate for the third reading and who will be allowed to speak for 15 minutes each; it goes to nothing else.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will hear from the Leader of the House.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I believe your immediate hunch was the correct one—that is, that suspensions of standing orders are perfectly entitled to be moved but not in the middle of an item of government business or, in fact, in any other matter of business. Therefore, the suspension of standing orders can be moved after this if he wishes to do so. But the immediate question before the House is that this bill be read a third time, and that needs to be voted on before any further action can be taken.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Whilst it is the case that suspensions, generally, can only be moved between items of business, that does not apply in a hard and fast rule if the suspension relates to the business before the House. So I think on this occasion—you can understand my immediate reaction to the motion—given it relates to the third reading and the business before the House, the Manager of Opposition Business has very narrowly satisfied that question.

I suppose my other difficulty is the substance of the motion, providing opportunities for members to speak. Members choose these opportunities themselves in the second reading debate. In that sense, I am finding this motion difficult but I am being reasonable about it. The Manager of Opposition Speaker—

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Mr Speaker.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am still considering the points of order. I have not ruled.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If I can deal, to a point of order, then, on the final issue which you raised: it is not unusual for there to be motions within the House that allow an opportunity for someone to speak. The seats that I have named are the seats that were on the whips' list, where those members from both sides of the House have already indicated that they wanted to speak on this bill. If the motion were to be carried and those members who the motion said had to be given a chance to speak chose to not jump, then they would be quite within their rights as members of parliament. But we have regularly had motions over the years—for example, we used to have a procedure when a ministerial statement was made, specifically giving an opportunity for the member opposite to make a speech.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Having considered the matter and heard the Manager of Opposition Business and the Leader of the House—as I said, both will understand my immediate reaction—I am persuaded that it does relate to a matter directly before the House, and the Manager of Opposition Business can proceed to move his motion.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. I have the call.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know you have.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just sit down—even if it is just for a second! The Manager of Opposition Business has the call.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They just want to shut down debate on—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The substantive question is that the bill be now read a third time. To this the Manager of Opposition Business has moved a suspension of standing orders to which the Leader of the House has moved that he be no further heard.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Ballarat will resume her seat. The Leader of the House.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move that the member for Ballarat be no further heard.

A division having been called and the bells being/having been rung—

Ms Catherine King interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It would be regrettable if the member for Ballarat was asked to leave in the 30 seconds before I lock the doors. The Leader of the House has moved that the member for Ballarat be no longer heard.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question now is that the motion be agreed to.

Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, trusting this government to make our universal health—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Macarthur will resume his seat. The Leader of the House.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the motion be put.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion be put.

The question now is that the motion of suspension moved by the Manager of Opposition Business be agreed to.

The House divided. [17:18]

(The Speaker—Hon. Tony Smith)

Question negatived.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question now before the House is that this bill be read a third time. The member for Ballarat?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Ballarat will resume her seat.

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the motion be put.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the motion be put.