Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I don't need the member for Corangamite interjecting. There's probably a reason no-one else is at this point in time.

Yes, ministers and prime ministers have been asked about their statements, but the statements have to relate to their ministerial or prime ministerial responsibilities. Questions that essentially ask—I'm not going to use the whole 30 seconds—'The Prime Minister or a minister made a statement about a member; what do you think of all that?' open up a Pandora's box. Now, I will say to the Leader of the Opposition and the Manager of Opposition Business I can understand the point they're trying to make. I hope you understand the point I'm trying to make on behalf of all members, okay? Because it can flow both ways very quickly.

I'm ruling the question out of order, but I hope you'd expect I will consider the matter. I won't detain the House any further now. I will look carefully at all of the precedents—and I'm searching for one in Practice where it has occurred—but I just have a different view on that matter. I'm not saying it's impossible to frame those questions, but they need to go to ministerial responsibilities. So we'll go to the next question.

See this speech in context