Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I have been listening very carefully to the Prime Minister. I have listened to the Manager of Opposition Business. Whilst I believe the Prime Minister is the being directly relevant, as the standing order provides, it doesn't surprise me that he's raised a point of order, because there have been a series of these. I have been reflecting on this matter. As I said the other day—I also said I didn't want to detain the House for too long—but I feel I now should, at the start of a sitting week.

In reviewing direct relevance, which the Leader of the Opposition well knows came in in 2010—he knows very well indeed, but I won't go to all of that—various speakers have had to navigate this. I think I'm navigating it consistently, providing the answer is on the policy topic. I did look at a ruling from former Speaker Harry Jenkins, which I think does sum it up pretty well. I will read it to the House. This is when there was a series of points of order—actually, there would have been one point of order, because the rule was changed—relating to former Prime Minister Gillard's answer. Speaker Jenkins summed this up as best he could when he said, 'I believe so far she's been directly relevant, if not giving a direct answer.' They are different things. The standing orders demand direct relevance. He then went on, as I think the Leader of the Opposition would remember, to say that if there were going to be any other changes the procedure committee needed to look at it et cetera.

But I think that's the principle I'm sticking with. If the Prime Minister strays on to another policy topic, you will be sure that I'll act very quickly to ensure he doesn't. On the point of order, the Leader of the Opposition?

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