Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I second the motion, Mr Speaker. Very clearly, you have a responsibility to uphold the standing orders, as is consistent with the way in which you have indicated, quite correctly, the way that they are. Of course, I was either Leader of the House or Manager of Opposition Business during the time in which the Selection Committee played a different role in terms of private members' business. But certainly it is the case also, Mr Speaker—you will not be surprised—that we had a view that, whilst the Selection Committee was an opportunity for people in a smaller gathering to make sure that there was proper representation of different views and an opportunity for different private members' motions and bills to come forward, at the same time we never envisaged the possibility that somehow this Selection Committee—which, to be frank, most of the members of this House probably did not know existed, let alone who is on it and how it functions—would override the power of this House to determine what happens in the proceedings of this House.

We have had the other place determine a clear view on this legislation that is before the parliament, and I would hate to see a circumstance whereby the other place was able to make decisions but somehow we were not able to have a debate.

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