Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

Members on my left and right, I am going to address this matter very quickly. Whilst the Manager of Opposition Business has obviously done some detailed research on the history of Hansard, the Practice is very clear and I am going to make a couple of points. Whilst that question was clearly allowed and in that case the Prime Minister obviously wish to answer it, as I can tell is probably the case today, I have ruled on this matter—

Opposition members interjecting—

Members on my left, I have ruled on this matter in some detail and reflected on it since the beginning of this parliament. Within a couple of weeks of the beginning of this parliament, the member for Solomon asked a question to the Prime Minister that I deemed out of order on the basis that it was about the Chief Minister in the Northern Territory and a donation from Gina Rinehart, from memory. I made it very clear that it did not go to the Prime Minister's responsibilities and—notwithstanding the fact he wished to answer it on that occasion—I made it clear, as far as I was concerned as Speaker, we could not allow questions out of order to be asked. I am maintaining that ruling.

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