House debates Motions
Member for Dobell; Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
9:01 am
I move:
That so much of standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Sturt from moving forthwith:
That the member for Dobell be requested by the House to attend the chamber and, for a period not exceeding 10 minutes, outline the allegations made in today's press that he was offered an inducement to retire from his seat at the next federal election.
Madam Speaker, this is a very serious issue. In this morning's Daily Telegraph, it is reported:
Denying he was bitter at the way the party had treated him, Mr Thomson revealed he had rejected an offer from the NSW Labor Party to allow him to be beaten in a Labor preselection contest …
Stephen Smith Perth, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House
9:02 am
I move:
That the speaker be no longer heard.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The question is that the member for Sturt be no longer heard.
Is the motion seconded?
Jamie Briggs Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee
9:17 am
I second the motion, Madam Speaker. This is the party of Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald come to Canberra.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Jamie Briggs Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee
This is a party that is rotten to the core!
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The member for Mayo will resume his seat. The member for Mayo will not ignore a request from the chair. The Leader of the House has the call.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Madam Speaker, I was surprised when coming into the House that the manager of the opposition was not apologising to the House—
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
for the lies that have been told outside and inside the parliament about the member for Greenway.
Christopher Pyne Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. Everybody will resume their seats. The Leader of the House has the call and will indicate the motion.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
I move:
That the member be no longer heard.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
The question is that the member be no longer heard.
Mr Simpkins interjecting—
The member for Cowan is warned. The question is that the member be no longer heard.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
9:25 am
This is a desperate attempt to hide the treatment of the member for Greenway—
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Order! The question is that the motion be agreed to. The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The member for Mayo.
Jamie Briggs Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee
9:26 am
The gag and the member for Dobell—what is the guise he is now speaking on? It is finished.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
On your motion, idiot! Pay attention!
Jamie Briggs Mayo, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Scrutiny of Government Waste Committee
And you can withdraw that too, please, Albo! You can withdraw that as well.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
Order! The member for Mayo will resume his seat. He will refer to members by—
Mr Briggs interjecting—
Order! The member for Mayo is not above the standing orders of this House and his contempt most days during question time and the display that he has shown this morning leads me to believe that a good reading of the standing orders would not do him any harm. I ask the Leader of the House to withdraw the remarks that he made about the member for Mayo to assist the operations of the chamber.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
9:27 am
I am always happy to assist Madam Speaker, and I withdraw.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
I thank the member. I would point out that the time for the debate had not expired.
Anthony Albanese Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Your time had expired!
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
I had placed the question. If anyone was paying attention, I had put the question that the Leader of the House was referring to, so I can now actually put the question to a vote, if you would like.
Mr Briggs interjecting—
Order! The member for Mayo can't learn, can he? No. I was going to indicate that the cross-chamber chat is inappropriate.
Mr Dutton interjecting—
Order, the member for Dickson! Having just spoken fairly bluntly to the member for Mayo, I thought perhaps I might have got a little bit of respect for the chair. The member for Dickson has a valid point, but he is not assisting and I just point that out.
The question before the chair is that the motion moved by the Manager of Opposition Business be agreed to.
Ms Anna Burke Speaker
9:33 am
(In division) I take the time to welcome to the chamber students participating in the Rotary citizenship democracy program. They are getting a good education this morning!