Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

Helpful as always! I did listen to the motion moved by the Manager of Opposition Business, obviously, when I was in my office, and the reason I'm here is I don't believe it's in order, and I've been—just rest your legs for a sec, Manager of Opposition Business! I don't believe it's in order, and obviously I've been following the debate pretty intently. I saw the substance of the point of order from the Leader of the House. The point I would make is that the earlier motion makes the point, I think, very aptly, that any variation needs to be made by a minister. I do take the point from the Manager of Opposition Business—when he moved an earlier motion, I know he made certain statements then that he thought flowed from that, which I utterly disagree with. So that's where we are. That's why I'm sitting here, telling him rather directly: I don't believe that the motion's in order.

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