Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Opposition Business (House)) Share this | Hansard source

If I may, Mr Speaker, I will only raise one aspect of what you've just said, which is the concept of whether or not me moving that motion was unprecedented. We are in an unprecedented situation today, where we are waiting for a message in a situation where the government does not control the majority of the House and is using question time and its length as a way of trying to prevent the House from making a decision. There are a number of things that have happened this term that have happened for the first time in the history of this House. As to the fact that it is without precedent, there is a reason why no-one has sought to move such a motion before.

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