Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I am just going to say that it did have some commentary at the start, and the Treasurer was only, on my account, about 15 seconds into the answer when the Manager of Opposition Business approached the dispatch box. The Treasurer is allowed a preamble by way of introduction, just as I've allowed a preamble in the questions, and some of the preambles in questions are quite long. I flagged before and I might as well flag it again now: if members on both sides are going to have a problem with this, the solution is simple—there will be no preambles in questions or answers. But for me to call the Treasurer back after 15 seconds would be at odds not just with my practice as Speaker but I think with the practice every other Speaker in living memory.

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