Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I have a question to you, and it concerns your ruling which you laid out prior to question time concerning the events in the parliament on 15 February 2007. Part of the concern that I do not think you have addressed goes to the fact, which Hansard will record, of, at about 3.21 pm on that day, my raising an objection about a remark being withdrawn and your directing the Leader of the House: ‘Then the minister will withdraw that last accusation.’ Part of the concern that we on this side of the House raised was the fact that the Leader of the House responded, ‘I am a little confused.’ That was his response to your direction that the remark be withdrawn.

Mr Speaker, as you pointed out in quoting House of Representatives Practice, it is up to the chair to determine whether or not language is offensive or disorderly. In that ruling you clearly indicated that it was disorderly language. You clearly asked the member to withdraw it, and he refused to do so and defied your ruling. Because of that, parliament was disrupted by a number of points of order for at least another 10 minutes. It is still an issue today. I ask you to reflect on that matter and report back to the House. I indicate to you on behalf of the opposition that we certainly do not regard the term that was used as being parliamentary or appropriate in this House. It was used again today.

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