Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A question to you earlier in question time was directed to the Minister for Housing concerning her portfolio responsibilities. The Leader of the House jumped up to answer it instead. Practice is pretty comprehensive on page 541 about how these matters should be dealt with. So I would ask if you could explain to the House the basis on which your ruling was made.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I call the Leader of the House on a point of order.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Practice is also fairly specific for questions be on matters of House administration. While I respect that there may be a particular way of dealing with this now, it's certainly not traditionally in order to be relitigating rulings made at an earlier time through questions to the Speaker. It's meant to be matters of House administration only.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the House. That is the normal practice. If there is an issue at the time for the point of order to be made, but for the abundance of clarity, practice does state on page 549:

Where a question may involve the responsibility of more than one Minister, it should be directed to the Minister most responsible.

That is not necessarily the first part of a question or the second part; it's where the majority of the question will be done. My advice would be if you're asking a complicated question, make sure the majority is to that minister. In that case, in my opinion it was right down the middle.