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

Last week the Chief Opposition Whip asked me a question about the use of television cameras in the galleries. As the honourable member would know from our previous discussions about this subject, parliamentary staff produce high-quality television coverage of chamber proceedings and make it available to all media outlets on an equal basis. I do not support the use of television cameras in the chamber or its galleries by anyone other than parliamentary staff. The current access arrangements for the media in relation to the chamber are the product of considered investigations and recommendations by parliamentary committees, resolutions of the House and negotiations between successive Speakers and representatives of the Parliamentary Press Gallery over many years. Collectively, these rules provide a sound framework for the media working in the House of Representatives chamber. The current framework supports the important objectives of providing high-quality and appropriate coverage of parliamentary proceedings throughout Parliament House and to the Australian community more generally in accordance with those earlier decisions of the House and its committees.

In relation to the address to the House by the Prime Minister of Canada last Tuesday, over a week ago, approval was given for an extra camera to be used by parliamentary staff in the southern chamber gallery in order to produce better coverage of Prime Minister Harper’s entrance to and exit from the chamber. This approval follows the practice which has developed in support of similar addresses by visitors last year and in the previous parliament.