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

I have a question to you, Mr Speaker, in relation to the statement you have just made. Do I understand, from your statement, that that is in effect a rebuke of the Leader of the House for the terminology that he used at the time in the chamber, a rebuke for moving the motion in the terms in which he did and a rebuke to the Deputy Speaker at the time for the way in which that matter was handled?

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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. I believe that the statement that I have just given to the House covers all the points relevant to his question. I do not intend to add to my statement.

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

That is a bit of a problem because I think the honourable member for Lalor has effectively been held to a different standard in her suspension from this chamber today. It may be the case that, after your admonitions to the Leader of the House, he withdrew the terms that he used in describing one of our members on this side of the House, but that does not get over the problem of the particular resolution that was put and carried in this place. It would be a very unfortunate thing if the member for Lalor, our manager of business, was treated in a different manner than the gentleman opposite.

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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition. If I could just clarify again: the point the Manager of Opposition Business was named for was defying the chair.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I just draw your attention to the fact that page 33 of the Hansard of last Thursday does still record that motion as being carried by this House: ‘That that snivelling grub over there be not further heard.’ I draw your attention to page 294 of House of Representatives Practice, which makes it very clear that ‘a motion may not be brought forward which ... contains offensive or disorderly words’. The question to you, Mr Speaker, is: what action do you intend to take to ensure that that motion is rescinded and that that reflection on the entire dignity of this House does not remain as a permanent record of this parliament?

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

I refer the member for Grayndler back to the statement I have just made and remind him that there was no refusal last week to withdraw any term, and the Votes and Proceedings record accordingly.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Page 33 of Hansard records, in fact, that on a number of occasions, both prior to the Deputy Speaker putting the motion and indeed during that division, members on this side of the House—including myself, the Manager of Opposition Business, the member for Fraser and others—all made very clear the fact that we wanted that reference withdrawn. It was not done. In fact, the manager of government business compounded the original problem by withdrawing it under the terms:

If I have offended grubs, I withdraw unconditionally.

I note these were the exact words used by the member for Lalor this morning, for which she was suspended.

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

I thank the member for Grayndler and I understand the point he is raising, but I refer him back to my statement, which, I believe, covers all the points that he has raised.