House debates

Thursday, 5 June 2008

Assistant Treasurer

Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders

9:01 am

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

I seek leave to move:

That the Assistant Treasurer be:

(1)
required to appear before the House at the first available opportunity and explain his misleading of the House by claiming that:
(a)
Treasury officials did not work through the night of Wednesday, 28 May 2008 on the Fuelwatch legislation when in fact they did; and
(b)
the Office of Parliamentary Counsel was integrally involved in the all night drafting session of the Fuelwatch legislation when they were not; and
(2)
censured for misleading this House with his statement at 2.53 p.m. yesterday which was directly contradicted by evidence provided by senior Treasury officials to the Senate later that afternoon..

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for North Sydney from moving immediately—That the Assistant Treasurer be:

(1)
required to appear before the House at the first available opportunity and explain his misleading of the House by claiming that:
(a)
Treasury officials did not work through the night of Wednesday, 28 May 2008 on the Fuelwatch legislation when in fact they did; and
(b)
the Office of Parliamentary Counsel was integrally involved in the all night drafting session of the Fuelwatch legislation when they were not; and
(2)
censured for misleading this House with his statement at 2.53 p.m. yesterday which was directly contradicted by evidence provided by senior Treasury officials to the Senate later that afternoon.

Mr Speaker, this is a very serious matter—

9:02 am

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

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Question put.

Photo of Harry JenkinsHarry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

9:11 am

Photo of Peter DuttonPeter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | | Hansard source

I second the motion. The Assistant Treasurer is not even here! This is—

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

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Question put.

Original question put:

That the motion be agreed to.