Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Leader of the House. Why was the sessional order changed yesterday, and will the House be required to adopt a new sessional order tomorrow?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's well understood why, yesterday, we needed to adopt a new sessional order, because, for the first time in living memory, the crossbench became as big as the opposition. As a result of that new sessional order, we've been having more crossbench questions.

I note that yesterday we had a question from the member for Clark, where he predicted that the crossbench was 'likely to soon exceed' the opposition with more defections. I don't know if he knew what was going to happen today, but it has turned out to be prophetic. What I would say, though, is: be careful what you wish for. You might not necessarily want the people who you're about to get. But today, of all things and of all the issues to decide where your line in the sand is, we had another five members of the opposition decide to defy the shadow cabinet—another five.

I've had a look at the amendments they were voting for. It was the member for Canning, the member for Barker, the member for Longman, the member for Grey and the member for Forrest, all of them defying the shadow cabinet's position. One of the amendments that they decided was a matter of principle was to have a statutory review of customs and excise laws. I really don't think that was the reason they decided. If you want to know the reason—you might notice the member for Canning has been reading a book during the course of question time today. Some people with better eyesight than me have noticed a copy of The Art of War on his desk.

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

Order! The Leader of the House will pause. The member for Gellibrand is warned. We'll hear from the Manager of Opposition Business.

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, unsurprisingly, the manager was asked about the sessional order being changed on Monday and whether we would need the sessional order to be changed tomorrow. He's not speaking about any of those topics, on relevance. You're letting him, but he's speaking about things that are not to do with the question.

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

The Leader of the House will need to make his answer directly relevant and provide the House with information about why he's talking about amendments. I don't think he was asked about amendments, but I want him to explain to the House how he's being directly relevant, because the manager is correct.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The pathway to the dwindling numbers of the opposition has been consistent. The member for New England defied the shadow cabinet then moved to the crossbench, knocking the opposition, who started at 42 this term, down to 41. The National Party defied a decision of the shadow cabinet and then moved to the crossbench, knocking the opposition from 42 members down to 28 yesterday. Today we had the first step, from the reader of The Art of War and his four followers, making sure that they defied the decision of the shadow cabinet. The number of people—

Alex Hawke (Mitchell, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Member be no longer heard.

Government members interjecting—

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

Order! Members on my right, the manager is entitled to do that. He's done that. We're going to follow the standing orders. He's well within standing orders to—

Manager, we're just going to deal with your point that you've raised. When the House comes to order, we'll deal with this in a sensible way. The manager has moved that the speaker no longer be heard. The question is that the member no longer be heard.

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

In continuation, the Leader of the House?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The number of people on the non-government benches, following the shadow cabinet position, now comprise 23 that will follow the shadow cabinet and 33 that will not. That means, for the Leader of the Opposition, who at the end of this week has to fill 11 frontbench vacancies, there are only five backbenchers left to fill these 11 vacancies who follow the shadow cabinet position. It's a group of four across there now on the crossbench—cross, very cross, apoplectic and just plain weird.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.