Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition also endorses these changes that have come from the Procedures Committee in recommendations that deal with matters of contempt of the House. As the Leader of the House has outlined in his best speech in the chamber in a long time, the recommendations include: that for any motion that makes a finding of contempt or imposes a sanction, seven days notice must be given; that any person penalised by the committee has the opportunity to provide further evidence to the committee; that any person penalised has the opportunity to address the House; that any person who is penalised cannot be penalised in excess of recommendations by the committee; that the House cannot find guilt where the committee has made a finding of no guilt; and that a person who makes an allegation of contempt should not vote in any divisions on motions relating to any findings, or impositions of penalties, for those contempts. The opposition thinks these are improvements to the way in which matters of contempt are dealt with by the House of Representatives. The Procedures Committee has done a good job on both of these matters, and the opposition endorses the recommended changes.

Question agreed to.

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