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

Before giving the member for North Sydney the call, I want to add to some remarks I made earlier. During an answer by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, quite correctly, the Manager of Opposition Business rose on a point of order. The Minister for Finance and Deregulation cooperated and withdrew remarks, but I regret that by characteristically misspeaking or, more regrettably, mistake, that I may have conveyed sentiments that do not support the practices of the House. In House of Representatives Practice, 5th edition, page 499, under the heading ‘References to the Senate and Senators’, it says, inter alia:

Offensive words cannot be used against either the Senate or Senators. It is important that the use of offensive words should be immediately reproved in order to avoid complaints and dissension between the two Houses.

If comments that I made indicated that I did not support that position, I apologise.