Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
2:42 pm
I move:
That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving—
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
Are you moving a suspension?
Milton Dick Speaker
Let's allow the Leader of the Opposition to move his suspension. He can begin again.
Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
I move:
That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Leader of the Opposition from moving the following motion immediately—That this House condemns the Government for:
Andrew Hastie Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Sovereign Capability
2:43 pm
I second the motion.
Milton Dick Speaker
The Leader of the Opposition, resume your seat. It doesn't work that way.
Angus Taylor Hume, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition
He had to second it.
Milton Dick Speaker
You second it after the person speaks. The Leader of the House?
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
As the Leader of the Opposition would know, because he's been here for a long time, when you move a resolution you say you move it, and you give the entirety of your speech. At whatever time you have finished your speech, you sit down. That can be right at the start. It can be at the end of the time limit. But when you sit down that's the end of your speech. At that point, you, as Speaker, would ordinarily ask, 'Is the motion seconded?' The seconder gets up, and at that point the seconder gives their speech, which will always begin with 'I second the motion', and then when they finish their speech they sit down.
I'd suggest we're in a situation now where the Leader of the Opposition, under the standing orders, has actually finished his speech—which was relatively short—and his alternative has seconded the motion and finished his speech too. It's an unusual approach to the debate, but for the Leader of the Opposition to now seek the call would be out of order.
Milton Dick Speaker
It has always been the convention, and the way the standing orders work, that someone, when they move a suspension, gives their speech—they don't sit down—and the seconder then stands and gives their speech. This has not happened before in this way. I think the Leader of the Opposition was just intending to get the debate going; I understand where he's coming from. Under the standing orders now, the call does go to the other side, once it's been moved and seconded. There are provisions of the House to deal with this after question time under the standing orders.
Mr Tony Burke Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House
2:46 pm
Under standing order 47(e), I require that this debate be continued after the MPI.
Milton Dick Speaker
That is the way the standing orders are written. I'll just brief the House so everyone knows. Standing order 47(e) says:
If a motion for the suspension of orders is moved during Question Time—
which the Leader of the Opposition has done—
after the terms of the motion have been proposed by the mover, a Minister may require that further proceedings in relation to the motion take place at a later hour, as set down by the Minister.
That has now occurred.