Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, could I just ask you a further question on that matter, as I was one of the members who was speaking in the Main Committee. Even though it is known that my view of the Main Committee is that it should not exist, the House established it and what occurs in the Main Committee is of course part of the proceedings of the House. It is not sufficient, in my view, for the response to be that the whips potentially make available extra speaking slots for those members whose contributions to the House have been lost. It seems to me that further effort should be made to restore those contributions. They form part of the record and the proceedings of the House. I think more is required than to simply say that (a) there is no backup system and (b) the whips should make efforts. The House should give those members who made contributions the opportunity to present those contributions to the Main Committee or the House in written form to enable some record to be resuscitated.

See this speech in context