Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Okay. But I think that is one of the fundamental reasons we are having this debate and part of the reason why I will not be supporting the amendment. Firstly, the process that is there has not been used and so private members' business and private members' time now look to be challenged. I would urge those who want to bring forward issues to use proper processes. Secondly, and fundamentally in defence of this chamber, if we are going to suspend standing orders and move motions based on allegations in the media or otherwise, whether serious or not, and call on people to make statements before things are actually proven, we are not going to do the business of this House that needs to be done.

Thirdly, and for the general theme that it is a year into this 43rd Parliament, I will make a final point because I think this is partly questioning the value of whether the parliament is working or not. I think that it is. I think what we are seeing right here right now is a demonstration of intent of character and it does expose the hearts and minds of various members of parliament and what drives their business in this chamber. That is for the audience of Australia to have a look at and to decide upon at the ballot box. What a parliament cannot normally do when it is in a majority situation is this sort of intense character assessment of who is doing what and why, which we are seeing being openly exposed now. So I call on the Australian people to look at this and question what is being done as an abuse of parliamentary process in order to try to prove that democracy is dead. In fact, it is more alive than ever and everyone, all of us in this chamber, will be held to account for our behaviour.

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