Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Hansard source

Under standing order 132(b) I believe that through misadventure at least one member missed the division, and therefore I move:

That in accordance with standing order 132, standing and sessional orders be suspended to enable the House to divide again on the question: That the suspension of standing and sessional orders be agreed to.

During the timing of the division, the four-minute spell, one of the opposition's members, the member for Flinders, was seen very clearly at the glass doors of the chamber. He was seconds away from voting. The reason why standing order 132(b) is in the standing orders is so that, if a vote could have been materially affected in a different direction by a member not being able to be present, the vote can be recommitted. In a parliament such as this, there are two members who were not present, Leader of the House, who may have wanted to vote, one of whom we know was standing outside the glass doors—the member for Flinders. The other was the member for Fisher, who did not vote. He did vote in a previous division and he should be given the opportunity to come into the House and vote.

There was great confusion, given the member for Denison moved the motion and many members of the House—I would say a good 142—probably did not know that that motion was going to be about the suspension of standing orders to refer this matter, the matter of the holding of a jihadist terrorist in a detention centre in the Adelaide Hills, to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence. It was a very good motion of the member for Denison. The opposition supports it. We believe that national security is one of the most important requirements of a government to get right. We saw in question time today, and have seen all week, that ministers have failed to take responsibility for the fact that a convicted jihadist terrorist was held in detention in the Adelaide Hills behind a pool fence. So we support the member for Denison's motion and I believe the member for Flinders would have supported it. That would have meant 75 votes would have been on the side of the House to achieve the suspension of standing orders—and one other member, the member for Fisher, did not come into the House.

I will not delay the House any longer. Standing order 132(b) exists so that, if there is a misadventure and a member is not entitled to come in and vote because they were inconvenienced for whatever reason, the House be given the opportunity to vote again. I put it to the House that this is such an occasion and that therefore the House should vote on it.

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