Barry Haase (Kalgoorlie, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Roads and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, may I add my congratulations on your election to high office. My question is addressed to the Prime Minister. Will the Prime Minister give me and my constituents a commitment that he will not be a part-time Prime Minister and run a part-time parliament by refusing to front this House on sitting Fridays?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I call the Prime Minister.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind members on my right that the Prime Minister has the call.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. I responded to one part of his question yesterday, in the response I think I gave to the Leader of the Opposition concerning sitting Fridays. The position of the government is absolutely clear on that. The purpose of sitting Fridays is to ensure that backbenchers in this parliament have an opportunity to bring to the attention of the parliament issues of concern to them in their local communities, such as in the honourable member for Kalgoorlie’s community. My experience as a backbencher in this place is that the opportunities to raise concerns here as a backbencher are limited. Therefore the parliament providing further opportunities of a sitting Friday to do so is an appropriate way forward. We remain committed to that reform. And we would hope that all honourable members, including the honourable member who has asked the question, make appropriate use of that mechanism.