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

Yesterday the member for Grayndler raised a matter of privilege relating to a report in the Australian newspaper on 1 May 2007 of comments by a spokesperson for the member for Mackellar. The member for Grayndler made reference to a matter of privilege raised in relation to a former Speaker in 1992, a matter the then Speaker was not prepared to accord precedence to, for a motion to refer to the Committee of Privileges.

I do not see that any privilege issues are raised in the matter put forward by the member for Grayndler. I remind members that matters of privilege should be raised at the earliest opportunity. Further, members should be aware that, in raising matters of privilege, these are very serious matters as they relate to the protection of the special rights and immunities of the houses, its committees and members and which are regarded as essential to the proper operation of the parliament.