Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

The Agreement for a Better Parliament has focused attention on the matter of supplementary questions. The agreement provides for the Leader of the Opposition or his or her delegate to be able to ask one supplementary question during each question time. The standing order amendments that have been adopted do not cover this matter; it has been left to be handled as a matter of practice.

I want to take this opportunity to let the House know of my position on supplementary questions. I will apply the following criteria: they need not be asked by the member who has asked the original question and may be asked either by the Leader of the Opposition or a member who appears to have been delegated by the Leader of the Opposition to ask the question, and I note that a supplementary question may be asked by a member other than the member who has asked the original question in a number of other jurisdictions; they should not contain any preamble; and they must arise out of, and refer to, the answer that has been given to the original question.

I note that the implementation of the provisions of the agreement concerning the operation of the House is to be subject to review by the Procedure Committee. Naturally, I would welcome any comments the committee may make on this matter.

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