Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I grieve for the people in my electorate because of the 150 jobs that have gone as a result of the failure of the government to proceed with the Centrelink call centre. This government alleges that it is concerned for the people of Australia. This government alleges that it is concerned to create opportunities. But in fact what we have is a regional area with high unemployment, with great need, and the government has curtailed a project that was going to create great benefits. It was going to create great benefits not only for the people who received those jobs but for Centrelink customers. We all want to provide better services for the customers of Centrelink. How can failing to upgrade our call centres provide better services from Centrelink for the people who need them?

It is pure hypocrisy of the people on the other side to say that they claim to care for the people who use Centrelink services but at the same time fail to proceed with an important upgrade. They fail to allow jobs to be created in regional areas through an upgrade of our call centre services which would provide faster, more efficient services. We hear all the time in our electorates that people want better services from Centrelink, and the previous government was committed to delivering those. But in the government’s first action, when their backsides are barely on the treasury benches, they cut services to Centrelink. They cut the ability of Centrelink to provide for the people whom it is supposed to look after. It is an absolute disgrace. I cannot believe this, particularly from the new members opposite. How does the member for Bass feel when she comes into this place and the first action is to deliver the loss of jobs in her electorate?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She is not even here!

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

She is not even here. I can see her newsletter now: ‘150 Jobs Slashed from Bass’. Hear, hear! I see the members opposite cheering about 150 jobs lost in Bass as well as 150 jobs lost in my electorate. It is a disgrace.

The expansion of call centres in regional areas makes sense for a range of reasons. It makes good economic sense as well as good service delivery sense. We have in regional areas a supply of labour available to do a range of tasks, but currently, in many cases, people are underemployed. A call centre would draw on what is perhaps currently an underutilised labour force. But what is this government doing? It is not creating opportunities in regional areas. It is not looking to improve the unemployment situation in regional areas. What it is doing is ripping jobs out of regional Australia. The member for Bass did not bother to front on the RDO. I am here putting the case forward for my electorate. The Prime Minister is not here.

Opposition Members:

Where is he?

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We want the Prime Minister here. I want Kevin Rudd to hear what 150 jobs—

The member for Canning displaying a placard—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Cowper will resume his seat. The member for Cowper will resume his seat. The member for Cowper will resume his seat! The member for Cowper will remove himself from the House under standing order 94(a) for ignoring my call.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. As the Leader of the Opposition knows, the Prime Minister is today visiting Indigenous communities in Walgett and then visiting flood victims in Mackay. That is what the Prime Minister is doing today. This is an extraordinary breach of the protocols of this House that the member here is continuing with. Madam Deputy Speaker, I ask that you take action on this disorderly conduct.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Community Services, Indigenous Affairs and the Voluntary Sector) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: I presume you are about to sit him down because that was not a point of order.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No. I was going to ask the member for Canning to remove himself and that article from the House.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have asked the member for Canning to remove that from the House.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I have a right to be heard.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So do I. I am in the chair and you will hear me.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a right to be heard.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And you have not heard me. I am actually in the chair and I will be heard. Under previous rulings, such articles have been asked to be removed from the House. I am asking the member for Canning to remove that from the House.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Where’s the frontbench? Where are they?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the benefit of the member for North Sydney, I have not made a ruling. I have asked for the offensive article—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is offensive. I have asked for the article to be removed from the House. The Leader of the House will resume his seat. I am on my feet.

Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Hayes interjecting

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Werriwa is not helping. I am on my feet. I have asked for that to be removed and it will be done.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: yesterday the Speaker of this parliament said:

The use of props is not encouraged but it is tolerated.

All week we have had the Deputy Prime Minister coming into this place with props—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, given that the Leader of the Opposition gave a commitment on behalf of the opposition just an hour ago that we would have private members’ business proceeding, perhaps we can proceed with it now and stop the nonsense.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, to provide absolute clarification for the House, we have had the Deputy Prime Minister introduce props to the House during the course of debate, and yesterday—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a right to be heard.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is the point of order?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday, in a debate before this chamber, the Leader of the House—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney will resume his seat.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, what is this?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The Leader of the House will be heard in silence.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On what basis does the member for North Sydney have the call?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: I remind the Deputy Speaker of the Speaker’s words yesterday that the use of props is not encouraged but is tolerated. The simple point is—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney will resume his seat. I call the member for Cowper.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. My people have the right to expect that their government will be here to hear their concerns.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Cowper will resume his seat.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He’s on grievance.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He is on grievance. I called him on grievance. I have actually asked the member for Cowper to remove himself from the chamber, as he did ignore my ruling before. I let it go on, but I actually did ask the member for Cowper under 94(a)—

Honourable Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The members will resume their seats. I had called the member for Cowper and I was going to remind him—I had let it go on—to remove himself from the chamber because he had been ignoring the chair.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On what basis?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the basis that I am in the chair and, at the time, you were ignoring the chair. I asked you to remove yourself under 94(a). Please remove yourself from—

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Leader of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Hartsuyker interjecting

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I let it go on and now I am asking you to remove yourself under 94(a). The member is named.

I move:

That the member for Cowper be suspended from the service of the House.

The question is that the member be suspended from the service of the House. All those of that opinion say aye, the contrary no. The ayes have it. Division required. In accordance with standing order 133, the division is deferred until the commencement of the next sitting. The member will remove himself from the chamber.

Honourable members interjecting—

You do not have the call.

Honourable members interjecting—

You are not entitled to yell at me until I give you the call. The member for Warringah.

Madam Deputy Speaker, there has been no resolution of the House—

Mrs Gash interjecting

I ask the member for Warringah to sit down. The member for Gilmore will remove herself from the chamber.

On what basis?

On the basis that I found that remark offensive and a reflection on the chair. I will call the member for Warringah when the member for Gilmore has removed herself. The member for Gilmore has been in this place long enough to know that she has been reflecting on the chair.

The member for Gilmore then left the chamber.

Madam Deputy Speaker, since Federation, this parliament has functioned on the basis of respect for whoever is in the chair. I am very familiar with standing order 94(a), because over the last term on more than 190 occasions members of the then opposition were asked to leave the chamber. Not once was that questioned—not once. I ask the Leader of the Opposition to show leadership—

The Leader of the House will resume his seat.

Madam Deputy Speaker, if we can return to the matter that you were previously dealing with and where you indicated that you would give me the call, the point of order I was raising is that no motion of the House has been carried and, on that ground, you cannot ask the member for Cowper to remove himself.

The member for Warringah will resume his seat. As was discussed earlier today, you may not be happy with the new standing orders, but they were put in place prior to coming into the House today. I am operating under the standing orders as they apply today.

Madam Deputy Speaker, on the point of order that was raised by the member for Warringah, he was, I assume, referring to the naming and the suspension for 24 hours that would follow. Prior to that event, you had quite properly in accordance with standing order 94(a) requested the member for Cowper to leave the chamber. Standing order 94(a), in part, reads:

The direction shall not be open to debate or dissent, and if the Member does not leave the Chamber immediately, the Speaker can name the Member under the following procedure.

The following procedure was the subject of the division. The prior requirement under standing order 94(a) for the member for Cowper to remove himself for one hour is not open to debate. Everyone in this chamber knows that, and it has been obeyed without exception by anybody from the time it was inserted under former Speaker Martin. I would therefore suggest that the member for Cowper should remove himself for the hour, as has been the practice ever since that standing order was put in place—without exception.

Madam Deputy Speaker, the member was named. You asked for a vote. The vote on the voices was challenged. A division was called for. No division was held. Therefore, no decision of this chamber has been made and the member has a right to be heard. If the government does not have the numbers on the floor of the chamber, it should give it to someone else.

The member for North Sydney will resume his seat. The member for Cowper will remove himself from the chamber. The member for Cowper’s refusal to leave the chamber places the chair in an untenable position. The sitting is suspended until the ringing of the bells.

Order! Today’s events have been of considerable concern to me. I repeat my earlier statement that I understand that some members have concerns about the arrangements for Friday sittings. I wish to express my full confidence in the work of all occupants of the chair today in what have been difficult circumstances. If our House is to expect the community to have confidence in it, all members should conduct themselves with decorum and dignity regardless of their views about particular matters, including the conduct of business on future Fridays. The time for the grievance debate has expired. The debate is interrupted and I put the question:

That grievances be noted.

Question agreed to.

Earlier today the member for Herbert drew the attention of the Speaker to the state of the House. In accordance with standing order 55(c) I will count the House if the member so desires. I ask the member for Herbert to indicate if he requires a count of the House to be taken.

Mr Speaker, my request was before lunch. I require this parliament to operate properly. I require a count of the House.

The House having been counted and a quorum being present—

Quorum present. Order! The House will now adjourn until 2 pm on Tuesday, 11 March 2008.