Bob McMullan (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is also to you, Mr Speaker. It also relates to procedure. It relates to the procedure concerning the recent—and excellent—debate concerning the late Rick Farley. I hasten to say that I was not upset with the outcome; I think the debate was well managed and well conducted. I was concerned about the process in which you, as I understand it, created a situation in which all of us spoke on indulgence rather than as of right.

As I say, I have no concern about the outcome on this occasion: the debate was very well conducted on all sides, including by the Deputy Speaker and other deputy speakers who were in the chair in the Main Committee. Everybody handled it very well. But I am concerned that we have created a precedent whereby, in circumstances of legitimate debate, the right of members to speak is a matter of indulgence rather than of right.

I would appreciate it if you would perhaps distribute to members the basis of the decision on which we proceeded on the basis of indulgence rather than on the basis of a motion to take note or some similar motion as would normally have been the case. That would have meant that people had a right to speak under the standing orders rather than needing to seek indulgence from the chair.

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