House debates Questions to the Speaker
Parliamentary Hours
Ed Husic Chifley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation
3:24 pm
I just want to follow on from the member for Warringah's recommendation to consider sitting hours in light of the Jenkins report. Those opposite talk about family values and family work hours. I would urge you, Mr Speaker, if you could, to consider, as the joint head of the Department of Parliamentary Services, that we had a lot of people who were kept here for long hours, working behind the scenes, affecting their ability to keep contact with their families,. There is a responsibility—if I may say not disrespectfully—on you and the President of the Senate to keep tabs on those working hours, given what has been recommended. We're now in a situation where, after all those hours and all that effort, that legislation we were here for until nearly 5 am is not even going to be considered by the parliament. It was all for nothing.
Andrew Wallace Speaker
3:25 pm
I'll take the matter under consideration, but I still come back to thinking that it's a matter for the task force more than for the Speaker of the House. But I don't think anyone—or very few of us—wanted to work until five o'clock this morning.