Jason Clare Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government
9:59 am
I seek leave to move the following motion:
That the House:
(1) notes:
(a) extensive television and newspaper reporting of the Assistant Treasurer's involvement in wide-scale branch-stacking;
(b) the Assistant Treasurer has so far refused to explain himself in the House, and instead moved to gag debate; and
(c) the Prime Minister has not condemned the Assistant Treasurer's actions, despite clear breaches of the ministerial standards;
(2) invites the Assistant Treasurer to attend this House within the next 60 minutes and make a statement of no longer than 60 minutes length; and
(3) further notes, if 60 minutes is not enough, the minister may request a further 60 minutes for his statement.
Leave not granted.
I move:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Blaxland from moving the following motion immediately—
That the House:
(1) notes:
(a) extensive television and newspaper reporting of the Assistant Treasurer's involvement in wide-scale branch-stacking;
(b) the Assistant Treasurer has so far refused to explain himself in the House, and instead moved to gag debate; and
(c) the Prime Minister has not condemned the Assistant Treasurer's actions, despite clear breaches of the ministerial standards;
(2) invites the Assistant Treasurer to attend this House within the next 60 minutes and make a statement of no longer than 60 minutes length; and
(3) further notes, if 60 minutes is not enough, the minister may request a further 60 minutes for his statement.
Tick, tick, tick! The clock is ticking on this minister. John Howard would have sacked this minister last week. That is exactly what he did when he was Prime Minister in 1996. He sacked three ministers for the misuse of taxpayers'—
Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
10:01 am
I move:
That the Member be no longer heard.
Tony Smith Speaker
The question is that the member for Blaxland be no further heard.
Stephen Jones Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer
Seconded. The Prime Minister must sack this hack or back his stack. That is the choice. The clock is ticking—
Tony Smith Speaker
The member must resume his seat. The minister has the call.
Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
I move:
That the Member be no longer be heard.
Tony Smith Speaker
The question is that the member for Whitlam be no longer heard.
Tony Smith Speaker
10:14 am
The question now is that the motion moved by the member for Blaxland be agreed to.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
The motion simply says, 'Give him 60 minutes to talk, and if 60 minutes isn't enough, give him another 60 minutes.'
Dan Tehan Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education
10:15 am
I move:
That the question be now put.
Tony Smith Speaker
10:17 am
The question now is that the motion moved by the member for Blaxland be disagreed to.
Tony Smith Speaker
10:19 am
I call the Manager of Opposition Business on indulgence, as we agreed prior.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts
In accordance with the conventions we're following, the member for Melbourne asked for it to be recorded that, in the votes associated with this suspension and the previous suspension of standing orders, had he been able to be here, he would have voted the same way as the opposition.