Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

Order! The Leader of the Opposition does not have the call.

Order! We can get out the cups of tea and coffee if people want to have a little afternoon tea.

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. Now the House will turn its mind to how people outside perceive us. This is question time. People, when they approach the dispatch box, will get the call when the House comes to order. There was an illustration there where the Leader of the Opposition may have thought he had the call but those on my right were denying him the call outside of the standing orders.

If the point of order, as I understand it, goes to the relevance of the answer, I simply put to the House that, in following the practice that has been for many parliaments, the finance minister has taken an aspect of the question, which he is directing his remarks to. Whilst this is a definition of relevance that may be a mystery to many, it has been the way in which question time has been conducted for a while. I have urged the House to use the Procedure Committee to look at these matters, but that has not happened yet. The minister for finance has the call.

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