Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wanted to advise honourable members of a change in the approach to question time that will be undertaken—

Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You get to do this unilaterally, do you?

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield will cease interjecting.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by government members, beginning from the next sitting time.

Mr Champion interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Wakefield is warned!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Honourable members will understand that the object of question time should be to ensure that members are able to raise matters—

Ms Butler interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

of concern to their local electorates. That is what we will be doing from the government side—

Ms Butler interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Griffith is warned!

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

and the opposition members can do whatever they like. They can continue asking questions written for them by the Leader of the Opposition's staff—they can continue doing that. What government members—

Government members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my right will cease interjecting. The member for Lyons! The member for Watson on a point of order on indulgence?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. Indulgence traditionally in this parliament is granted for issues of significant gravity, not for the sort of contribution we are getting from the Prime Minister. It is something that takes from the rest of question time. I have never seen a situation where we have had something of this nature be used at the beginning of question time to provide a political commentary.

Government members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my right will cease interjecting. The Prime Minister is speaking on indulgence and, if he so wishes, the Leader of the Opposition can be heard on indulgence too.

Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

From the next sitting week until the end of the year, government members will trial a constituency question time to run every sitting day as part of questions without notice. What this will mean is that, after five questions have been asked from the government members in the traditional way, further questions will be addressed to ministers by government backbenchers on matters of interest to their local constituency. Local issues are absolutely the bread and butter of every member's job. This will typically involve five questions from government members on their local constituency. It is entirely up to the opposition whether they want to give their backbenchers a say or not.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Watson on indulgence?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On a point of order.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Member for Watson, the Prime Minister has concluded his remarks. Do you wish to address the chamber on indulgence?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, it is a point of order on your use of indulgence. The Prime Minister just then, when you granted indulgence for, allegedly, a grave matter, was reading from a political media release. He has a media release in his hand.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister has informed the House of some changes to question time with respect to the—

Honourable members interjecting—

I will be heard without interjection. The member for Moreton is warned. Members on both sides will not interject when the member for Watson is seeking me to respond to a point of order. Would you like me to respond to your point of order? I will do so without interjection. The Prime Minister, on indulgence, has announced a change in approach from the government's perspective at the start of question time in a brief statement. With all the interjections, it has taken less than four minutes. I am happy to proceed with question time now, unless the Leader of the Opposition or the member for Watson wishes also to speak on indulgence. Thank you. As we proceed to question time, I remind those members who have been warned already.