Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition can resume his seat. I did anticipate that this would occur sometime during the sitting. I've made the point repeatedly that certainly ministers can't ask questions, because that's not how question time works. I won't go through it all. It's fairly obvious. But I do think that the Leader of the Opposition has a reasonable point, which is that the Hansard record shows what's said. When it comes to so-called verballing I see it in questions as well. I am going to make that point.

An honourable member interjecting

Whoever was expressing surprise must have been one of the ones that hasn't been here for a long time. Questions that have at their heart an accusation, like one just recently asked by the Leader of the Opposition, do fall into that category as well. I don't think members want me intervening on absolutely every aspect where someone feels misrepresented. That's why they can claim to be misrepresented at the end of question time.

See this speech in context