Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

Now we have got the second part into the frame, it sounded the easy part, but I would struggle to find out where that was within the minister's administration. As you know, throughout the last parliament I had concerns about questions to the Prime Minister about the actions of backbenchers. It has seemed to me that over the last week and a bit the questions that have been asked to the Prime Minister were in order, but that is on the basis that she is the leader. On the question about whether this is an opinion or not, there are precedents, I believe, where similar questions have been asked on the basis that they are generalities. If we were to take the very literal question, it would be outside the standing orders, but I do not think that is the way the House has treated them in the past. But I think that people would understand that the response from the Assistant Treasurer will be couched in a way where he has to acknowledge his responsibilities as minister against the way in which the Tax Office, independent of him, would actually adjudicate. I invite the Attorney-General.

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