House debates Motions
Aged Care, Morrison Government
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
4:41 pm
I seek leave to move following motion:
That the House:
(1) notes:
(a) the Government is privatising the Aged Care Assessment Teams, the only part of the aged care system that is working well, before the Aged Care Royal Commission has even finished its work;
(b) the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care won't even own up to these plans;
(c) this Government routinely prevents debate on issues of vital importance to this nation, including today's message from the Senate;
(d) the extent to which this Government is silencing debate in the House of Representatives is without precedent in the history of Federation; and
(e) this Government has not granted leave for a single urgent Opposition motion in this term of Parliament, has routinely shut down suspension of standing order motions, and even passed legislation where not a single person spoke other than the Minister; and
(2) therefore, asserts:
(a) this should be a chamber where elected representatives come together to debate; and
(b) this Government's practice of constantly silencing voices other than its own has no place in democracy.
Leave not granted.
I move:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Manager of Opposition Business from moving the following motion immediately—That the House:
(1) notes:
(a) the Government is privatising the Aged Care Assessment Teams, the only part of the aged care system that is working well, before the Aged Care Royal Commission has even finished its work;
(b) the Minister representing the Minister for Aged Care won't even own up to these plans;
(c) this Government routinely prevents debate on issues of vital importance to this nation, including today's message from the Senate;
(d) the extent to which this Government is silencing debate in the House of Representatives is without precedent in the history of Federation; and
(e) this Government has not granted leave for a single urgent Opposition motion in this term of Parliament, has routinely shut down suspension of standing order motions, and even passed legislation where not a single person spoke other than the Minister; and
(2) therefore, asserts:
(a) this should be a chamber where elected representatives come together to debate; and
(b) this Government's practice of constantly silencing voices other than its own has no place in democracy.
There has never been a more precious Prime Minister unwilling to hear any—
Tony Smith Speaker
The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Leader of the House?
Christian Porter Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
4:44 pm
I move:
That the Member be no longer heard.
Tony Smith Speaker
The question is the Manager of Opposition Business be no further heard.
Julie Collins Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Ageing and Seniors
Seconded! If they have nothing to hide, then have a debate about their ACAT privatisation—
Tony Smith Speaker
The member for Franklin will resume her seat. The Leader of the House?
Christian Porter Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
4:50 pm
I move:
That the member be no longer heard.
Tony Smith Speaker
The question is: the member for Franklin be no further heard.
Tony Smith Speaker
4:52 pm
The question is that the motion be agreed to. The member for Cooper—sorry; the member for Cooper will resume her seat. The Leader of the House?
Christian Porter Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
Mr Speaker, I move:
That the question be put.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
Mr Speaker, a point of order—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
When someone's given the call, normally they are allowed to say a word before the Leader of the House gets up and routinely silences them.
Tony Smith Speaker
I'll speak on that point of order. I did call the member for Cooper. The Leader of the House rose straight away. Under the—
Mr Brian Mitchell interjecting—
The member for Lyons is about to not vote. Under the standing orders, whenever anyone rises on a point of order, it's my obligation to call them. The Manager of Opposition Business expects me to call him immediately when he rises on a point of order. I don't think the point he's making is a reflection on me. That's just the standing orders.
Ms Kearney interjecting—
Well, I'd say to the member for Cooper, some people approach the dispatch box talking!
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
To the point of order: I take the point absolutely that you've just made, and there have been occasions where one of us has risen to move a motion and you thought we were rising on a point of order and you then told us to sit down again.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
If you thought—and the understanding was—the Leader of the House was rising on a point of order, he then didn't. He sought to move a resolution. And, under those circumstances, I simply ask that the member for Cooper be allowed to at least commence her speech.
Ged Kearney Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Skills
4:53 pm
A community of baboons looks after its elderly better than—
Tony Smith Speaker
The member for Cooper will resume her seat. The Leader of the House?
Christian Porter Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I move:
That the question be put.
Tony Smith Speaker
I'd just say to the Leader of the House—
Honourable members interjecting—
if those could stop interjecting—I just want him to repeat what motion he moved.
Christian Porter Pearce, Liberal Party, Attorney-General
I move:
That the question be put.
Tony Smith Speaker
5:00 pm
The question now is the motion moved by the Manager of Opposition Business be agreed to.