Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and follows the answer he gave to my previous question. I refer the Deputy Prime Minister to his decision to abandon the member for Dawson and allow her to be removed from the ministry following the defection of Senator McGauran. Will the mass defection of the Queensland division of the National Party cause a further reorganisation of the ministry? If one National Party defection caused the loss of one seat at the ministerial table, how many Nationals ministers will now go—

Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. House of Representatives Practice shows that there is ample precedent for ruling out of order a question which relates to ministerial arrangements and coalition arrangements between parties, and former Speaker Snedden in fact did that in 1978.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Boothby raises a valid point of order. The question is out of order.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The simple fact of the matter is the ranging answer that the Deputy Prime Minister gave to the previous question invited precisely that sort of question. He feels free to range over all those issues both in public and in here and we are entitled to have an answer.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition has raised his point of order. I think he appreciates the standing orders.