Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

The point of order might have been out of order, but it was really helpful because, in terms of the new procedures where speaking times have been dropped from 15 minutes to 10 minutes, I was about to refer to the member for Flynn. He said it was an absolutely appalling use of the guillotine that he wasn't allowed to talk for 15 minutes. He then sat down after eight minutes and four seconds with nothing more to say.

For the last two nights, member after member opposite has stood up and opened their speech by saying, 'It is outrageous that we are being silenced,' and they have continued to talk for 10 minutes about being silenced. And then they said the 10 pm cut-off is the same as a gag, that cutting it off at 10 pm means, 'We don't get to speak at all.' It's exactly the same as what they used to do, moving that the speaker be no further heard.

Well, the first time we used that procedure of the 10 pm cut-off, they ran out of speakers at 9.37 pm. Last night they ran out at 9.27 pm. The parliament's being used as it should be. (Time expired)

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