Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

And I am shocked perhaps. On the matters raised by the Manager of Opposition Business, it is absolutely correct that I have done Speaker Snedden a disservice because the ruling that I relied upon—shock, horror!—is that of a Deputy President of the Senate which is referred to in House of Representatives Practice. I might say to the present Manager of Opposition Business that this is a part of House of Representatives Practice that is well known to an immediate former manager of opposition business because this is something that was used by my predecessor in trying to explain these matters—and that went to the notion of the offensive nature being political or otherwise.

I say to the House, including the member for Sturt: whilst I have not dwelt on all the decisions that I have made, from time to time I do reflect on the decisions that have been made because I am trying to be as consistent as possible. On today’s occasion, I may have been motivated more by reflection on the events of earlier this week, which for me were crystal clear, black and white. In applying those thoughts to today’s situation, I may not have been as precise as I should have been. The point that I made today was that, no matter what decisions I make in respect of comments that are made, at the end of the day my experience has been that the court of public opinion judges us all. Whilst I stand by the explanation by Senator Wood on page 501, which has been upheld from time to time by speakers in this place, mistakes can be made, in that it depends on whether, as I said earlier in the week, things should be taken literally or not. That is what there might have been some contention about today. Perhaps we should all look at some of the other matters that are contained on page 501 which do not go directly to the offensive nature of comments but which are about how certain comments can be seen as not keeping the order of the chamber.

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