Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

What has happened here is very clear. The opposition has asked an extremely tightly-worded question of the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The minister has, in a number of ways, sought to evade answering what is an extremely direct question. We, on this side of the House—both the Leader of the Opposition and I—have sought clarification from you. We've sought a ruling from you. A ruling has been provided. We've indicated that we disagree with the ruling. And what we are now doing is moving dissent. The reason that we are moving dissent is that you made a ruling that the minister was in order, and what we are putting to the House is that the minister was not in order because she was not being relevant to what was a very tightly worded, narrowly defined question. So that is the basis on which the opposition is moving dissent, as is permitted under standing order 87.

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