Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker Slipper, I am pleased to rise in support of your ruling. I refer to page 514 of House of Representatives Practice, which clearly neither of the speakers opposite referred to, nor did they refer to the standing orders. Under the heading ‘Closure of Member’, it says the following:

With the exceptions stated below, any Member may move at any time that a Member who is speaking ‘be no longer heard’ and the question must be put immediately and resolved without amendment or debate.

It then says:

The motion cannot be moved when a Member is giving a notice of motion or moving the terms of a motion, or if, when the same question has been negatived, the Chair is of the opinion that the further motion is an abuse of the orders or forms of the House, or is moved for the purpose of obstructing business.

House of Representatives Practice is very clear. We know the reason the opposition have moved this dissent motion is so that they can work out whether they are for or against Work Choices today. They have done it so they can have a tactics committee meeting. Your ruling is correct, Mr Deputy Speaker, and your ruling should be upheld.

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