Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I refer you to House of Representatives Practice and note that it states that, in relation to answers to questions, it has been a tradition of this place that question time goes for a set period of time, normally to the point of 3.30 pm. The trade-off for having a set period of time for question time is that answers can go for as long as the minister chooses. The alternative practice has been that answers are of a limited duration and there are a set number of questions. I would ask you to report back to the House on what has been the set procedure over the length of question time in the last 20 years.

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

I really do not intend to do that. If the member wants the answers to those questions, he can go to Chamber Research. If he reads Practice, he will find that what happened today is what has happened for many, many years. It is in the hands of the Prime Minister as to when he asks that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.