Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

Order! One would have noticed that many people either in the chamber or in the galleries—I do not know what is going out on the air—probably did not hear the conclusion of the answer because I allowed, even though there was a general warning, a response that, having been here for 25 years, I understood the answer would get. I indicate that the question about whether the minister had concluded was to ascertain whether it had to be brought to a conclusion by the chair. You can scratch it on a barrel that I sat a minister down; I do not really mind. I am again indicating that, whilst it might be considered by some to be over the top and it might be considered debate over and above what one would expect in response, once debate is allowed in the responses this is what is going to happen. I have been saying this, I now realise, for many years, even before I was the Speaker. I think that the problem we have not got our heads around is that if you want to have question and answer, have a question and have an answer; do not have debate entwined in it and do not have things being done to get 10-second grabs for other purposes. The member for Forrest has the call, and I expect that the whole chamber will take note, as has been described, of the circumstances that we find ourselves in.

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