Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Paedophilia, child abuse and rape—these issues were discovered in the Heiner inquiry.

George Campbell (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Acting Deputy President, on a point of order: how can he get six minutes? That means that two speakers will have 13 minutes between them. That is not a fair distribution of speaking time under the conventions of the Senate.

The Acting Deputy President:

Senator Campbell, your point of order is accurate. Senator Joyce, the situation with time is that it is allocated in 10-minute segments for this session. You cannot take the full six minutes; you have to take three minutes. Later on you can take three minutes; you are now nearly at the end of your 10 minutes.

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Paedophilia, child abuse and rape—these issues were discovered in the Heiner inquiry. Documents were shredded because of the wish to cover up crimes because certain individuals were involved. The excuse that the inquiry was supported to deal only with the management of the John Oxley Youth Detention Centre was a frail attempt to bury the crimes that became evident. The Queensland cabinet of the day could have given retrospective privilege to the matters by legislation but chose—

George Campbell (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Acting Deputy President, I rise on a point of order. I do not want to interfere with Senator Joyce’s flow but, as I have just indicated, we had a government speaker for seven minutes. Senator Joyce has three minutes. If he takes 10 minutes, we will be breaking the protocols and conventions of this Senate. If he is going to speak for 10 minutes, I am happy for him to do it, but you will need to call someone from this side of the chamber first before you give Senator Joyce the call.

Barnaby Joyce (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to do that.

The Acting Deputy President:

In that case, Senator Joyce, you will have to take a later spot.