House debates Questions to the Speaker
Days and Hours of Meeting
Wilson Tuckey O'Connor, Liberal Party
3:31 pm
Mr Speaker, would you be prepared to provide the House, through your office, with a list of the various sitting week arrangements of the House of Representatives that have applied over the years—for instance, from postwar 1945—including evidence of the provision of question times and MPI debates?
Harry Jenkins Speaker
I invite the honourable member to have a discussion with the Chamber Research Office.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
3:32 pm
Mr Speaker, in congratulating you on your election can I let you know that you will have no trouble with me in terms of the matters of the House.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
Mr Speaker, given the concerns that have been raised about whether parliamentary privilege attaches to Friday sittings, inter alia because of the suspension of quorum requirements, will you obtain and release the legal advice referred to by the Leader of the House in the debate on Tuesday? If not, will you obtain your own legal advice and report back to the House?
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Because I think that the member for Sturt is seeking a considered response, I will take advice from the Clerk and, without stating the extent to which I will be able to answer all the items in his question, I will provide him with information.
Don Randall Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
3:33 pm
Mr Speaker, I have two questions to you. The first one is by way of elimination. I am interested to know whether members opposite, before making their maiden speeches, are entitled to ask questions. If that is the case, fine. My second question is about you, Mr Speaker. Given that parliament is to sit on Fridays, will you yourself be here all of Friday?
Harry Jenkins Speaker
I will answer the easy one first. Members are allowed to ask questions before they have made their maiden speeches. It is quite clear.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
No, Member for O’Connor; that is not the case. It is not their maiden speech. On the second matter: I am obliged by standing orders to attend to open proceedings of the parliament on any day. As I am obliged to implement the standing and sessional orders as decided by the House, that will be my intention.
Don Randall Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary
Further to my question, Mr Speaker: the question was whether you will be here for all of the day.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
I am not making any promises but I assume I probably will be. It is a sitting day.
Unidentified interjection - Hansard doesn't record who said this
Opposition Members:
Opposition members interjecting—
Warren Snowdon Lingiari, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel
You have no trouble standing up.
Harry Jenkins Speaker
Very close, Minister, very close. I emphasise the point that I do not wish to enter into the debate that went on until two o’clock in the morning on the first day of sitting. I am obliged under the standing and sessional orders to ensure that the standing and sessional orders are implemented and I will be doing that faithfully on behalf of the House. Therefore, I believe that it is the responsibility of the Speaker to make themselves available for any day that parliamentary procedures are being carried out.