Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In my previous experience of Consideration in Detail, the ruling has been made that the alternation of speakers is between government speakers and opposition speakers, both being given the opportunity to ask questions of the minister. Now, I refer to the provisions of the standing orders that the Manager of Opposition Business has read out today. The standing orders do not provide for what the Manager of Opposition Business is arguing. There is no specific provision in the standing orders which reflects what the Manager of Opposition Business is arguing. So I would put to you that it is a matter of discretion, and previous practice is—and it certainly was on the last occasion that I spoke on these matters—that there has been an alternation. It follows as a matter of logic that if you do not make that ruling then government members can readily be denied any opportunity to ask a question. So I would ask you to stay with your ruling.

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