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

by leave—I move:

That sessional order 65a be amended to read as follows:

65a Opportunities for crossbench Members

Consistent with the principle that the call should alternate between government and non-government Members and to enable crossbench Members to receive the call in accordance with the crossbench proportion of the non-government membership of the House:

(a) During Question Time, priority shall be given to:

(i) a crossbench Member seeking the call on the fifth, thirteenth, seventeenth and twenty-first questions; and

(ii) an opposition Member seeking the call on the first, third, seventh, ninth, eleventh, fifteenth, nineteenth, twenty-third, twenty-fifth, twenty-seventh and twenty-ninth questions.

(b) During each period of Members' statements in the House, priority shall be given to at least two crossbench Members seeking the call (standing order 43).

(c) During each period of Members' statements in the Federation Chamber on Mondays, priority shall be given to at least four crossbench Members seeking the call (standing order 43).

(d) During each 30 minute period of Members' constituency statements in the Federation Chamber, priority shall be given to at least one crossbench Member seeking the call (standing order 193).

(e) During each one hour period of Members' constituency statements in the Federation Chamber, priority shall be given to at least two crossbench Members seeking the call (standing order 193).

(f) During the grievance debate in the Federation Chamber, every Tuesday priority shall be given to a crossbench Member seeking the call as the first speaker (standing order 192b).

(g) During the adjournment debate in the House, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays priority shall be given to a crossbench Member seeking the call as the first speaker (standing order 31).

(h) During the adjournment debate in the Federation Chamber, every Thursday priority shall be given to a crossbench Member seeking the call as the first speaker (standing order 191).

(i) For the matter of public importance discussion, the Speaker shall have regard to the crossbench proportion of the non-government membership of the House in selecting matters proposed (standing order 46).

For the information of members, this is the same sessional order that I moved at the start of the term, prior to the coalition breaking up. This takes us back to where we were three weeks ago. Whether I'm back in three weeks time is a matter for others. I do congratulate the Manager of Opposition Business on the role. I currently hold the record for the longest time spent in that role. I very much hope that he is able to break that record for me, and I wish him well.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the House for his kind words. I absolutely, 100 per cent guarantee and assure him that we won't be back here in three weeks. What he's going to see is that the government will be held to account. I will not go anywhere near breaking his record.

Question agreed to.