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

Mr Speaker, I direct your attention to page 553 of House of Representatives Practiceand I am making the assumption that we are still applying House of Representatives Practice and still using the standing orders, though it was not apparent in question time today.

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

The member will not reflect on the chair.

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 direct your attention, Mr Speaker, to the statement in relation to relevance for answers by ministers to questions. It says:

The interpretation of ‘relevant’ has at times been very wide, with a basic requirement being that an answer must maintain a link to the substance of the question.

Mr Speaker, I ask you to review the tape of today’s question time, where you will find on more than one occasion that the basic requirement that an answer must maintain a link to the substance of the question was breached repeatedly without you intervening, despite the opposition drawing the matter to your attention. The construction of the standing orders and the practice cannot mean that if you are asked about an immigration issue you can answer on an industrial relations point—which is what happened in question time today.

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

I thank the Manager of Opposition Business for her question. I would add that following the quotation she takes from page 553, it says:

In practice the word—

that is, relevance—

has been frequently accepted by the Chair as meaning relevant in some way or relevant in part, rather than directly or completely relevant.

I believe that as it also—

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

Ms Gillard interjecting

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

Order! I will finish. I also draw the honourable member’s attention to the bottom of the previous page, where it says:

The latitude permitted to Ministers has often been quite considerable in the House of Representatives. Speakers have ruled consistently that provided the answer is relevant and is not couched in unparliamentary language Ministers may virtually answer questions without notice in any way they choose.

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

Mr Speaker, I urge you to review today’s question time. I put it to you that there is no relevance at all to answering a question about 457 visas, which is necessarily an immigration question with an answer about industrial relations. That does not pass the test of being relevant in whole or in part; it is strictly irrelevant and it was allowed. I am asking you to review that as an inappropriate ruling and to ensure that in future question times, ministers and the Prime Minister—

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

The member will not reflect on the chair.

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

need to be relevant to the question asked.

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

I am always happy to—and, in fact I do—review question time after it has occurred but can I make it very clear that, as I heard the question, there was a lot more to it than just a question about visas. But I will review it as I always do.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, in light of the questions being asked by the Manager of Opposition Business, will you make a ruling as to whether or not you intend to allow questions to yourself after question time to be used as a mechanism for reflecting on the rulings you have made during question time?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! I will respond to the member for Mackellar. I thank the member for Mackellar and can I make it quite clear that I will endeavour to uphold the standing orders, as have all previous occupiers of this chair, as they are provided and agreed to by the House.

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

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. As you would be aware as recently as question time today, members have been threatened with ejection from the chamber for raising what you view to be frivolous points. I trust the same standard will be applied to the member for Mackellar and very shortly.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business would be aware that previous occupiers of the chair have acted where they believe frivolous points of order are being taken. I will continue to review behaviour on that basis.