Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I will simply say—reluctant as I am to revisit the events of earlier on, not just in this case but in any case—that it is my intention, and it has got me into trouble before, to rotate the call on questions. That is because the written word is a bit silent on that. The convention of the House is to rotate the call. The second thing that I would indicate is that I have been very conscious of not denying members the ability to raise legitimate points of order. That has tested my popularity with certain members, but I continue to protect that.

You will recall, earlier in question time, that I was nearly overly firm with the member for Sturt when, in fact, he had the right to come to the dispatch box to raise a point of order. I indicate that on that occasion I was wary because we had moved on, I felt; but he legitimately raised the point of order where he was seeking the tabling of a document.

In the case before when the rotation was going to the government side and there was a government member standing and then the Leader of the Opposition stood, if you want an admission from the chair, there was an element of the bunny in the spotlight because I was unsure of the intentions of the Leader of the Opposition. He indicated those intentions which then meant that I had more reason, in my mind, to give the call to the member for Chisholm. I am not sure what the replays will show but, in my own mind, I had not given the call to anybody.

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