Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is directed to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education. Will the Deputy Prime Minister update the House on events and reading opportunities during National Literacy and Numeracy Week?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

National Literacy and Numeracy Week, which starts on Monday and runs for a week, is an opportunity for all of us to celebrate reading and literature and to remind ourselves that there should always be opportunities in life to curl up with a good book. So I thought it was appropriate today, the last sitting day before we start National Literacy and Numeracy Week, to talk about some books that people might be contemplating reading.

I have been looking at some of the websites of our great publishing houses. My attention was drawn to the website of Melbourne University Press, which of course is going to be publishing the memoirs of the member for Higgins. When I looked at the website I found that the motto of Melbourne University Press is ‘books with spine’. Books with spine from a politician without one! We await this great entry into the literary world. Mr Speaker, you would be aware that some movies fail so badly that they go straight to DVD; well, I am betting this one goes straight to paperback! It will not be a very hard spine when that one is published.

I am sure that this book with the very soft spine—or perhaps without a spine at all—will be the subject of much discussion at tomorrow night’s testimonial dinner for the member for Higgins. Of course, on the question of reading there will be ‘what’s on the printed menu?’ Prawns for entree? No spine there. Chicken for main course? A good thought. And, of course, jelly for dessert—what else?

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

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

Order!

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

Mr Speaker, on a point of order: if this is the standard the government wants in the House, we can accommodate it. My point of order goes to relevance. The Deputy Prime Minister was asked a question about literacy week and she assured us it goes for one week—which gives us no confidence in the minister’s own skills. Now we hear the minister, without any opportunity arising from the question, digress to another issue. I ask you to bring her back to the question. If she does not have a proper answer she should sit down.

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

The Deputy Prime Minister will go to the question.

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

Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I have raised with you previously the standing orders relating to disorder. I put it to you that the Deputy Prime Minister’s recent contribution was disorderly and, further, contributed to disorder. If the word ‘dud’ is now unparliamentary, personal insults and sleazy presentations are also in that category, and I ask that you deal with them accordingly.

Dick Adams (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’re a hypocrite!

Wilson Tuckey (O'Connor, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don’t worry about me, Dick.

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

Order! The member for Lyons will withdraw that remark.

Dick Adams (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw, Mr Speaker.

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

The member for Mackellar on a point of order. Is this on the same point of order?

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

Mr Speaker, it is of the genre but it is a different point.

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

The member for Mackellar will resume her seat. I have not dealt with the member for O’Connor. I am not going to argue about the word that has become the word of the week. I explained—

Fran Bailey (McEwen, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It rhymes with Rudd!

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

The member for McEwen is reminded that the time when the Speaker is trying to make a response to a point of order is not the best time to try the chair’s patience. As far as I am concerned, I dealt with the unparliamentary or otherwise use of words in response to the member for Warringah’s point of order on the day. The member for O’Connor—who has some expertise in the area, I am tempted to say—has made the point about disruptive behaviour and I have some sympathy on this occasion, but I believe the fact that the matter finished at the point it did finishes it. I see a lot of movement in the chamber. I wonder if those people would remember events of the last parliament?

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

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I was truly quite shocked this afternoon to see you ask three members of the opposition to remove themselves for one hour when we had the last two being removed to the organised cheering of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union—cheering your action in removing members who are elected representatives—with no action being taken against them at all. I find that totally unacceptable and I wonder if you could reflect upon how we can prevent this happening a second time.

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

First of all—for transparency because some staffer will go off and discover it—in my pecuniary interests register it will be noted that I am a member of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union. I think if someone reviews the tape of proceedings, as I was invited to, then they would see that, as soon as I had dealt with the member for Dickson and there was noise from the gallery, I asked the gallery to come to order. I then took action against another member who made a comment. I then was trying to deal with a point of order that I had felt was likely to be a proper point of order but which degenerated to an opportunity to debate. On all occasions, I did not condone the actions of the gallery and I believe my actions were consistent with the way in which I have dealt with similar disorderly actions in the gallery before. There is only one comparable occasion this year, and there was a great deal of tolerance shown on that occasion.