House debates

Monday, 14 February 2022

Statement by the Speaker

Parliamentary Language

2:12 pm

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

Mr Speaker, I thank you for your timely consideration of the matter that I raised on Thursday afternoon. It might be appropriate so that we can just move on, given your ruling, if the Leader of the House can just withdraw his comments from Thursday, given that you've said they're inappropriate.

Photo of Andrew WallaceAndrew Wallace (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat. I have also considered this issue carefully, and at page 515 of the Practice it makes it very clear that a request for a withdrawal must be made at the time the remark was made.

The member for Solomon is warned. The whole purpose behind that provision is, as I understand it, to expunge the record from Hansard. If—and I say 'if', and I certainly hope it doesn't happen again—the matter arises, I'll deal with it then, and I don't need to hear any further from the Leader of the Opposition.