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

Mr Speaker, I have a question to you.

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

You may proceed.

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

As is normally the case under page 592 of Practice:

The terms of a matter of public importance … are made known to the Leader of the House or the Manager of Opposition Business, as the case may be, some time after 12 noon …

When we received it today, it's in the normal form described under Practice, where Practice, on the same page, goes through that you have to say 'in accordance with standing order 46' and you have to propose exactly when you want it to take place. The member for Fairfax has proposed that today's matter of public importance should take place on Thursday 9 March. The Practice presumes that you can request it, as it says, today, tomorrow or on a subsequent day. This is the first time anyone has requested that it be two weeks ago. Previously, in similar circumstances, when we were in opposition, we'd been advised that the MPI would be ruled out, and I simply wish to draw this to your attention.

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

I will hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

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

It is correct. There was a clerical error, but it is a factual matter—for which I take full responsibility, I hasten to add. The fact of the matter is that a letter was delivered to the Speaker today proposing a matter of definite public importance, and none of those facts have been changed by reason of the fact of a mere clerical error.

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

I thank the Leader of the House and the Manager of Opposition Business. It was a clerical error with the MPI. I'm pleased to advise the House that the member for Fairfax has corrected that clerical error. I will allow the MPI to continue because it is important that matters of public importance are debated. But, before I call the member for Fairfax, I give the call to the Leader of the Opposition.