Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation and Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I have a question relating to the Prime Minister’s behaviour and non-tabling of a document on 15 May. My question to you is: who determined that this document was confidential and who advised you that the document was confidential?

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

I have nothing further to add to the letter I sent to the member for Boothby. As far as I am concerned, the matter is closed.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I have a question relating to a request earlier during question time that the member for Prospect table the documents from which he was reading. The member purported to table an ACCC report as the document from which he was reading. It was not so. He switched the document under his feet and presented documents other than the one he was reading from.

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

The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. As I said earlier in the session, I am not revisiting matters that occurred earlier in the day. They are matters which should have been raised at the time.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question to you then is this: is it acceptable, when it is asked that documents be tabled, for a switch to take place? Does that not represent misconduct?

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

I am not proposing to enter into this debate either way. As I said, these are matters concerning the way in which the House conducts its business and they should be raised with the chair at the time they occur. I have taken the view that questions to the Speaker after question time are to relate to those matters for which the Speaker has administrative responsibility—that is, the conduct of parliamentary departments—and I am not going to be giving advisory rulings.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Mackellar, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, you place members of the House in a difficult position because you are charged with the responsibility of keeping order in the House. Switching documents when asked to table them amounts to a misconduct for which you are responsible for taking action.

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

I am saying to the member for Mackellar that the matter should have been raised at the time she believed an incident happened that required my ruling.