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

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the House immediately debating the state of the Australian economy, with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition speaking for a period of up to 10 minutes each and four other Members speaking for a period of up to 5 minutes each.

What we see in this chamber is a government that is arrogant, a government that's not prepared to debate the economy—

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

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. I call the Leader of the House.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

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

The question is that the Leader of the Opposition be no further heard.

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

Is the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition seconded? The Leader of the House?

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition gave a short summary of part of question time yesterday, then he put a proposal to the Prime Minister, then he went off on a tangent, then he was the subject—

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Members on both sides! I can't hear this point of order. I have to call for a seconder for the motion—

Mr Porter interjecting—

Members on my left, I'll decide who stands up, sits down and gets ejected okay. That sort of works.

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd seek your clarification—

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

Hang on; you don't have the call at the moment. I'm going to call the Leader of the House but I'm going to point out to him that the standing orders require that I ask for a seconder immediately. The Leader of the House, briefly?

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It doesn't appear that there is actually a motion before the House.

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

Yes, there is: to suspend standing orders.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Are you saying you don't have a copy of the motion?

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, there was a summary of question time yesterday, there was a proposal which he sought agreement from us on, he then went off on a tangent and he was then closed, but there was no actual motion before the chair.

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

I'll just ask the Manager of Opposition Business to resume his seat. I'm not quite sure of the point the Leader of the House is trying to make. I heard the motion. The motion, I can verify, has been signed and, it's been seconded. I'm not quite sure about the point the Leader of the House is trying to make. Does the Manager of Opposition Business want to read it again? In all practicality—whether it's a technical point you're trying to make—I didn't hear anything that was wrong with the motion but, even if there was, that would just mean another motion would be moved immediately. But I'll hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

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

The Leader of the House is right that there's not currently a motion before the House, because it hasn't yet been seconded.

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

That's right. That is exactly why it needs to be seconded before it's in possession of the House.

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

Once it's seconded then it will be before the House. At the moment it's been moved, and you've called for a seconder. The motion is what the Leader of the Opposition moved. He stood up and moved:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the House immediately debating the state of the Australian economy, with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition speaking for a period of up to 10 minutes each and four other Members speaking for a period of up to 5 minutes each.

That's what he moved, and if it's seconded it will then be a motion before the House.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business can resume his seat.

Government members interjecting—

Members on my left! Member for Rankin, just relax. You'll get there. How long you'll get there for I'm not so sure, but you'll get there! Just for the clarity of members—maybe this is where some of the confusion lies—the Leader of the Opposition didn't seek leave to move a motion; he simply moved that standing orders be suspended and be suspended for the purposes outlined in the motion. The standing orders do make clear that I need to call for a seconder. Once the motion has been seconded and that has been dealt with, I'm then in a position to state the question. Until I actually state the question to the House, the motion isn't before the House. I'm going to now just call for a seconder. The member for Rankin was seeking the call before.

Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Seconded. Today they run from a debate on the economy. They are ashamed—

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

The member for Rankin can resume the seat. The Leader of the House?

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

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

The question is that the member for Rankin be no further heard.

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

The question now is that the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition be agreed to.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government is asleep at the wheel. They are running away—

Christian Porter (Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the question be now put.

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

The question is that the motion be put.

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

The question is the motion moved by the Leader of the Opposition be agreed to.