Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

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

Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been misrepresented by the Prime Minister.

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

You may proceed.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first allegation the Prime Minister made was that there was no reporting of personal staff allocations to crossbenchers in the Morrison government. That is incorrect.

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

No, it's not about allegations. You need to state to the House what the misrepresentation was—not an interpretation of the words but exactly what the words were. Then explain to the House how you were misrepresented.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister's words were:

Not only did the Morrison government not report that or come to the dispatch box; they were pretty quiet up in that corner about it too.

Mr Speaker, those figures are reported at Senate estimates every time. There was no nondisclosure.

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

Resume your seat. I'll deal with this. I've been through this a number of times. When you are claiming misrepresentation, you need to state clearly where or who or what has been said in an article or in a speech. Collectively, you can't take an objection. You're saying that the Prime Minister said something that was reported elsewhere. That's not a misrepresentation. That's a debating point that you're trying to make. I'll give the member the call.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So the Prime Minister can make a general allegation grouping people together, but when I am included in that, I can't individually take that as misrepresentation. Is that the speaker's ruling?

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

The Leader of the House.

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

To contribute to the point of order—yes, that's what members of parties deal with every single day and always have.

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

Just resume your seat for a moment. We'll get through this and I'll give you the call. Collectively—yes, that is correct. That is my ruling. If a member were to suggest something—or a political party or political organisation—we would be here all day for every single member of that party or government to take offence and to say 'That's misleading,' or whatever their claim was. If the Prime Minister or any minister or any member had said 'the person said about me', and the words aren't correct, you could correct and use the form of the House for that. Does the member now wish to make another personal explanation?

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to conclude this point though. I am an independent; I am not a member of a party. As such—

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Members on my left will show restraint and show the member for Warringah respect.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As such, even though it is put in a grouping, it is under the rules allowable for me to ask to make a personal explanation if I have been misrepresented.

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

Yes. But the key is in the term 'personal representation', so it's about the person. Anyway, we shall—

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will write to the Speaker.

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

Does the Leader of the House wish to contribute?

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

The answer, as I'd say in a point of order, is contained in the standing order itself—in 68—where it says specifically that there has to be a matter 'of a personal nature'. That's the reason that anything generalised is not able to access this standing order.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! No, we're not going to have that sort of behaviour. People are entitled to raise without any commentary or associated noises. It's not fair and it's not respectful, and it's not the spirit that I want this House to operate under. The member for Warringah on a second personal explanation. Do you claim to have been misrepresented?

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been misrepresented.

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

You may proceed.

Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Prime Minister stated:

I do make this point that the most number of representations that I have had from crossbenchers in the House and in the Senate isn't about health policy. It isn't about education policy. It isn't about housing policy. It's about their staff.

I have been misrepresented. Again, that is not correct. The largest number of representations that I have made to the Prime Minister and the government is to accelerate climate action and truth in political advertising.

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

It's the same principle as we allocated before. Just to be clear to the House, if a minister or someone had said 'the member for said', there would be the ability to use this standing order because it's about the person. I appreciate where the member is coming from about collective action, but the standing orders are written in a way that they're about an individual. The Leader of the House.

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

To raise a point of order. I has now it's been said, but I do think it's just important to clarify that this standing order needs to only be used where it's of a personal nature, where the reference has been to that person individually. Otherwise we will be here for three hours after every question time and another two hours after every MPI, where the nature of parliamentary debate tends to be collective and lots of what is said is contested.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business.

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

Obviously we have our differences across the chamber, but on this we are completely united. I would just like to support what the—

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

I thank the member. I don't want to detain the House. Just resume your seat. We're going to do this respectfully. Members are entitled to raise, but I remind all members this standing order intersects with action regarding when members are specifically mentioned.

The member for Mackellar, do you claim to have been misrepresented?

Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes. I claim to be misrepresented.

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

You may proceed.

Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In answering my question—question 17—it was made clear to me that the most representations I, being on the crossbench, had made was about staff, which is not correct.

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

The point has been made by the member for Warringah. I can appreciate members feel aggrieved, but the standing orders are written in a way that they are about an individual. No more explanations.