Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

Before I give the call, I would like to make something clear. Over the course of debate, the proceedings have taken on the character of question time—and that is quite appropriate; there is no reason why that should not be so. However, it is in fact not question time so it is not a circumstance in which the practice would be to call questions from one side then the other. It is in fact a debate. At the conclusion of that debate the resolution will be put. Because it is a debate, the normal practice is to give the call to a government member then to an opposition member, and where more than one government member stands, if the minister seeks the call then the minister will receive the call. I think we need to understand the practice of what we are going through.

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