Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I'm aware of the dispute that's gone back and forth, and I don't want to enter too much into the argument now. But the concept of offensive words applies to the words themselves, regardless of whether they apply to a current member or a former member of parliament. But obviously there is a higher level of protection for members of parliament and judges under the standing orders in the way they're described. Given that, for example, a year earlier than the time that was being referred to the United Kingdom had a formal policy of appeasement, we're potentially going down a path where history can't be discussed in different terms because of views that were quite rightly formed by all of us further down the track. I'd simply ask, if it is possible, for you to have an opportunity to reflect on the ruling that you've made, rather than us immediately establishing a precedent. You may choose to refer it to the Speaker himself, and I would invite you, having reflected on it, to provide further advice either to the House itself or, if you deem it more appropriate, directly to the Leader of the House and to me because, potentially, we've gone a significant way further than we've gone before in the rulings that have been made today. But I don't want to litigate it further at this point.

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