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

I appreciate the seriousness of the motion moved by the member for Denison and I appreciate the sincerity with which both he and the member for Melbourne have spoken on this matter. On behalf of the government though, I make it perfectly clear that, while this is a serious issue and there may well be a time for debate down the track about the whole issue of Iraq in the Middle East, today is not the day. There is government business and there is the matter of public importance that the government and the opposition, I am sure, wish to get on with.

We were not given any notice about this, not that I blame the member for Denison or the member for Melbourne for that. I say, with great respect to them, that today is not the day to suspend the standing orders to debate this motion. It places ministers and the government in a very difficult position, because no-one could speak to this motion without revealing the deliberations of the National Security Committee and other deliberations within the government at a time that is, as you have pointed out, extremely sensitive and serious in Iraq. The government will not be supporting this motion. I will not delay the House any further.

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