Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, this follows on from a question I asked of you on 22 June with respect to your rulings regarding statements by members that are required to be withdrawn. This afternoon in question time the honourable member for Sydney requested that a statement be withdrawn. You initially declined to require that statement to be withdrawn and subsequently, as a result of points of order, asked for it to be withdrawn.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No he didn’t.

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The statement was withdrawn. Shortly thereafter, the Minister for Defence requested that the member for Oxley be required to withdraw statements he had made, without outlining what those statements were. I sit very close to the member for Oxley and I did not hear those comments. It is pretty clear, Mr Speaker, that, unless you have some kind of telepathic relationship with the Minister for Defence, you would not have heard them either. Yet you required the member for Oxley to withdraw those statements. My question to you is: prior to a member being required to withdraw, is it necessary for you to establish and to rule that the statements made by that member were unparliamentary or, if a withdrawal is requested, is it the position that that withdrawal will be automatically granted? You have ruled both ways this afternoon; I would like to know which is the rule.

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

I thank the member for Melbourne. I would make two points. First of all, such a point should be taken at the time when he believes that the comments should be withdrawn. Second, if a member finds words offensive, then the member who made the offensive statement is called upon to withdraw. If he withdraws without reservation, and by implication admits that he made an unparliamentary statement, then no further action will be taken. Regarding the Minister for Foreign Affairs, when requested to withdraw an offensive comment he said that he had not actually made that comment, which left the chair with no option but to accept what he said.

Lindsay Tanner (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, with due respect, I do not think you have answered my question. Is an automatic withdrawal going to occur or do you have to adjudicate on whether words are unparliamentary?

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

I make the point to the member for Melbourne that, if he refers to the House of Representatives Practice, it makes it clear what is considered to be unparliamentary and what is not. Occupiers of the chair will call for withdrawal immediately when they are aware of unparliamentary language. If the occupier of the chair did not hear it, then the occupier has to rely on other members for that point.