Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

I was not going to speak on this suspension motion moved by the Leader of the House and the amendment moved by the Manager of Opposition Business until I heard the speech by the member for Melbourne. I have been in this place now for 15 years and, even though there are set standing orders in this place, there are certain conventions and it is often the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition who set the tone of the House. I was in this place, as the Leader of the House has referred to, during 1996-97, when a number of ministers were forced by the Prime Minister to resign because of their behaviour, and the Prime Minister on numerous occasions came into this place and gave speeches.

The reason we are moving this motion today is that we have tried to use the standing orders as they stand—

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