Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, it is. This cuts to the very heart of the Westminster system. The reason why this cuts to the very heart of the Westminster system is that there is a fundamental question that is before the House: do the standing orders of this House breach the Constitution? That is the fundamental question. Section 39 of the Constitution is explicit in relation to quorum, and we know on this side of the House, much to the embarrassment of the government, that the government are urgently drafting a bill to go before this parliament to change the quorum arrangements of this parliament because they screwed up on the standing orders.

We know it on this side of the House. They have made a mess, a hash, and they can point directly at the member for Chifley, the Chief Government Whip, who came up with this grand plan. Holier than thou, imbued with hubris, the Chief Government Whip came forward and said, ‘Let’s sit the extra days.’ ‘Great idea,’ says a naive Leader of the House. The Prime Minister says: ‘What a wonderful idea. I can pretend that we’re going to work five days a week. I am going to pretend. I’ll be a part-time Prime Minister. We’ll run a part-time parliament but we’ll pretend, in a sham to the Australian people, that somehow there is increased accountability and transparency. And we’ll do it by changing the standing orders. Forget that it’s a breach of the Constitution; that’s irrelevant! The Constitution is irrelevant! I’m Kevin Rudd. I run the place.’

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