Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday the member for Hughes raised with me a query about the availability of gallery seating for question time. For the information of the House, I take this opportunity to remind honourable members of the process for gallery seating for question time. Tickets for the majority of seats can be booked in advance. Some seats are kept aside for people who arrive without a booking. Unfortunately, yesterday, there were approximately 80 booked seats left vacant at the beginning of question time, as the persons for whom the seats were booked did not turn up.

Further to my advice yesterday, when tickets for the galleries are fully allocated, people are advised to queue for available seats. In addition to the seating kept aside for people without bookings, further seating becomes available where they are no-shows and as people leave the galleries. I am advised that, to date, all people coming to view question time have been accommodated in the galleries at some stage during the proceedings.