Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a number of questions to you, Mr Speaker. Can I refer to pages 602 and 603 of the House of Representatives Practice, which deals with Hansard. Mr Speaker, you would be aware that Hansard is to be a verbatim report of members’ speeches and that it is not to contain unnecessary additions. You would also be aware that, whilst the content of Hansard is actually the property of the House, that practice has devolved the responsibility of monitoring Hansard to the Speaker.

Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to turn 29 of the parliamentary greens, which are available through the members portal. This is the turn at 12.30 today. It records from the Leader of the House, ‘I move’, and then, formatted as parliamentary motions are formatted ‘That the snivelling grub over there be not further heard’. Then the opposition raises points of order about the fact that this is clearly out of order and that the Leader of the House should withdraw the terminology ‘snivelling grub’.

Mr Speaker, if you go into the parliamentary portal at the moment, turn 30 of Hansard, which would be the next logical turn to be produced, which deals with the remainder of this series of events, and in particular what I would contend was the putting of an out of order motion to this House, for some reason is not available through the parliamentary portal. But later turns of the greens, including turn 36 and turn 34, are available through the portal at the moment.

This causes me to be concerned that there are some additions, deletions or other changes being made to turn 30. I would request of you, Mr Speaker, consistent with your obligation to be dealing with questions about Hansard, that you not only monitor the Hansard but view the tape and make sure that the Hansard is a complete and accurate account of what happened in this parliament earlier today.

Mr Speaker, if you do that, I believe you will come to no other conclusion than that a motion that was clearly out of order—namely, the motion that appears in turn 29 of the Hansard, ‘That that snivelling grub over there be not further heard’—was a motion voted on by this House. I would ask you, Mr Speaker, to then come back and report to the House whether that is an appropriate form of parliamentary motion—because, if it is, Mr Speaker, you can expect to see it used regularly.

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I appreciate the sentiments the Manager of Opposition Business is raising, but I do not appreciate the very last comment; I think that was almost a reflection. Can I say that certainly I will investigate the tape and the transcript—which clearly, as the Manager of Opposition Business makes clear, apparently are not available yet; I do not know the reason. I am happy to follow the question up. I will look at it and report back as appropriate.