Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

I thank both the Leader of the House and the Manager of Opposition Business. I won't read the statement again. I would encourage members to familiarise themselves with it. I made it just before the 90-second statements started. There are a number of aspects to the statement. The point I would just emphasise is that it's a statement I made obviously after considering the conventions and the practice but also the discussion that the President of the Senate and I had with the AFP, where they made the point that 'commentary and reference to facts in issue'—and this is their words—'can complicate the investigation'. I am now ad-libbing, of course. The point of the statement was members have freedom of speech and parliamentary privilege here in this chamber but they also have responsibility. Members shouldn't think that some things they say might not prejudice an investigation, so I'm making that point to all members.

With respect to this question, I have a different problem with it—that is, as a matter of responsibility. Without going through all the details, in terms of access to offices, let me just state what I am sure most members know, that that's a matter for the presiding officers. The way access to offices works is simply that if members of staff require access to offices out of hours for your office, member for Sydney, if they're employed on your staff and they have a pass, they're given access. That is important information. In terms of whether the Prime Minister has got a capacity to answer that, that can't prevent the question being asked, but I'm just pointing out, just as a matter of administration, if I heard the question rightly. Yes, the Manager of Opposition Business?

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