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

by leave—I move:

That standing orders 1, 29, 34, 55 and 133 be amended as follows:1 Maximum speaking times (amendments to existing subjects, as follows)

Adjournment of the House or Main Committee—to end the sitting
Whole debate in House on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday	1 hr
Whole debate in House on Thursday	30 mins
Whole debate in Main Committee	not specified
Extended debate (if required by Minister to reply etc)	10 mins
Each Member—no extension of time can be granted	5 mins
Member who has already spoken to the motion may speak again for one period if no other Member rises to speak	5 mins
Minister in extension of debate	5 mins
(standing orders 31 (House) and 191 (Main Committee))

29 Set meeting and adjournment times

(a)

The House shall meet each year in accordance with the program of sittings for that year agreed to by the House, unless otherwise ordered and subject to standing order 30.

(b)

When the House is sitting it shall meet and adjourn at the following times, subject to standing orders 30, 31 and 32:

1	2	3	4
day	Meeting commences	Adjournment proposed	House adjourns
Monday	10.00 am	9.30 pm	10.30 pm
Tuesday	2.00 pm	9.30 pm	10.30 pm
Wednesday	9.00 am	7:00 pm	8.00 pm
Thursday	9.00 am	4.30 pm	5.00 pm

34 Order of businessThe order of business to be followed by the House is shown in figure 2.

Figure 2. House order of business

	MONDAY		TUESDAY		WEDNESDAY		THURSDAY
					Acknowledgement of country Prayers		Acknowledgement of country Prayers
				9.00 am		9.00 am
	Acknowledgement of country Prayers
10.00 am	Petitions (to 10.10am) Committee & delegation business and private Members’ business Divisions and quorums deferred 10 am–12 noon				Government Business		Government Business
12 noon	Government Business
			Acknowledgement of country Prayers
1.45 pm	90 sec statements			1.45 pm	90 sec statements	1.45 pm	90 sec statements
2.00 pm	Question Time	2.00 pm	Question Time	2.00 pm	Question Time	2.00 pm	Question Time
Approx 3.30 pm	Documents, Ministerial statements	Approx 3.30 pm	Documents, MPI, Ministerial statements	Approx 3.30 pm	Documents, MPI, Ministerial statements	Approx 3.30 pm	Documents, MPI, Ministerial statements
				4.30 pm		Adjournment Debate
		Approx 5.00 pm		Approx 5.00 pm		5.00 pm
6.30 pm	Government Business	6.30 pm	Government Business		Government Business
	Divisions and quorums deferred 6.30–8 pm		Divisions and quorums deferred 6.30–8 pm	7.00 pm	Adjournment Debate
8.00 pm	Committee & delegation business and private Members’ business	8.00 pm		8.00 pm
9.30 pm	Adjournment Debate	9.30 pm	Adjournment Debate
10.30 pm		10.30 pm

55 Lack of quorum

(a)

When the attention of the Speaker is drawn to the state of the House and the Speaker observes that a quorum is not present, the Speaker shall count the Members present in accordance with standing order 56.

(b)

On Mondays, if any Member draws the attention of the Speaker to the state of the House between 10 am and 12 noon, the Speaker shall announce that he or she will count the House at 12 noon, if the Member then so desires.

(c)

On Mondays and Tuesdays, if any Member draws the attention of the Speaker to the state of the House between the hours of 6.30 pm and 8 pm, the Speaker shall announce that he or she will count the House at 8 pm, if the Member then so desires.

(d)

If a quorum is in fact present when a Member draws attention to the state of the House, the Speaker may name the Member in accordance with standing order 94(b) (sanctions against disorderly conduct).

133 Deferred divisions on Mondays and Tuesdays

(a)

On Mondays, any division called for between the hours of 10 am and 12 noon shall be deferred until 12 noon.

(b)

On Mondays and Tuesdays, any division called for between the hours of 6.30 pm and 8 pm shall be deferred until 8 pm.

(c)

The Speaker shall put all questions on which a division has been deferred, successively and without amendment or further debate.

(d)

This standing order does not apply to a division called on a motion moved by a Minister on Mondays and Tuesdays, during the periods specified in this standing order.

If I may explain briefly, these amendments, which are agreed to by the government, the opposition and the crossbenchers, are simply to allow for a period which operated in the former parliament, which was a deferred divisions and quorums period to operate between 6.30 pm and 8 pm on a Monday. This operates of course today, being Tuesday, if there are any divisions or quorums. In order to do that government business will be extended on Monday by half an hour, so it will commence at 6.30 pm and go through to 8 pm—rather than through to 7.30 pm—and any divisions can be called at the eight o’clock period. In order to maintain the balance between government business and private members’ business, the adjournment debate on Wednesdays will commence at 7 pm rather than 7.30 pm. These are practical amendments which were first requested in terms of the Monday slot by the Manager of Opposition Business. We have consulted members widely and there is agreement across this chamber for these changes. I commend them to the House.

Question agreed to.