Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I was here for the personal explanation. This is, as I said to the House a week or so ago, it is obviously a new standing order that was adopted after the last election. The former speaker made a ruling on it that I concur with. The most important part of that ruling, as far as the Manager of Opposition Business is concerned, is it requires the member concerned to raise the point of order. That is the most important part. Without going over every part of what I said a week ago, and what was said in this House by the former speaker, it is a difficult standing order. In this case, where it relates to an interjection where the member for Sydney should not have been interjecting, it is unreasonable—

Ms Plibersek interjecting—

The member for Sydney is warned. Apart from the fact it is difficult enough to know every word that is being said, it is unreasonable to expect the Hansard reporters to capture every part of an interjection, so I have very little tolerance on this point of standing order 68 being used to justify continual interjections.

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