Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

With my utmost respect, Mr Speaker, I'd like to raise my concern about the question of procedural fairness in the House when it comes to the application of standing orders. Standing orders clearly identify that a member may raise a point of order on the issue of relevance. The point of order may then be considered and ruled upon by the Speaker. The Speaker has now, on a few occasions—and I don't dispute that we do, on a number of occasions in this place, have repeated questions and repeated points of order on relevance that may not always be appropriate. But I would respectfully request consideration of the application of standing order 86 in relation to points of order, which states:

… a Member may raise a point of order with the Speaker at any time.

So a member should have the opportunity to make the point of order, consideration should be given to that point of order and:

… consideration and decision of every other question shall be suspended until the matter is disposed of by the Speaker giving a ruling thereon.

I'm concerned about pre-empting points of order and not giving a member the opportunity to make it. Respectfully, I would say that in circumstances where a member is raising a point of order for the first time that it's not contrary to standing order 104, which is in relation to whether or not the point of order is vexatious or out of order itself.

I would like to bring the Speaker's attention to this issue and ask for a consideration of the interpretation of the standing orders in relation to points of order.

See this speech in context