Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I table the 2011 parliamentary sittings calendar.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

Order! I call the Clerk.

Christopher Pyne (Sturt, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I seek your guidance. As the sitting pattern is a decision of the parliament I would have thought that, as has previously occurred, the Leader of the House would have sought leave to table the sitting pattern as he has in the past; otherwise, the sitting pattern is not tabled formally other than by that political stunt that we have just seen.

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. During the dinner break the minister sought to suspend standing orders. A vote was taken; it was a no and a division was called for and the division was deferred. So I ask the question: why aren’t we proceeding with the division?

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

The Leader of the House has taken the opportunity of a break in proceedings and as a minister has tabled a document. That is all that has happened; he has tabled a document. I call the Clerk.

Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I raise a further point of order. I seek clarification. If indeed a division has been called for and deferred, and deferred divisions are to be brought on post eight o’clock, when will that division then be brought on?

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

I would advise the member for Paterson to listen carefully in future. Listen carefully, and I will repeat what I said to the House. I understand a division was called for earlier this evening on the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Bill 2010 on the question that the debate be adjourned. As debate on this bill has now been automatically adjourned in accordance with standing order 34, I suggest it would suit the House if that deferred division does not proceed. At the time there was no objection; I have moved on and what we are doing is denying private members the opportunity to discuss their business. I call the Clerk.

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

Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. The point that the previous speaker was making is that there was a deferred decision on the question of the suspension of standing orders—

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

No, the member for Mackellar will resume her seat.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Albo, come back and defend—

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

Order! The member for Menzies is not assisting. If anybody wants to dispute what I have put to the chamber I welcome them doing that in the proper manner. The question that was before the chair, for which there was a deferred division, was that the debate be adjourned. People seem to be confusing the reason that the debate was to be adjourned and are assuming it was for some other purpose. That other purpose has not transpired. I call the Clerk.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on indulgence: the difficulty on this side of the House is that the Leader of the House at the end of the last division has simply tabled a document, which I understand, and you have pointed out, he is entitled to do. But he has tabled a document about which there is great contention in this House, and then frankly tried to slink out of the chamber without making any explanation. This is the sitting pattern—

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

Order! The member for Menzies will resume his seat.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, Mr Speaker, can I just finish—

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

Order! The member for Menzies will resume his seat.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Andrews interjecting

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

Order! The member for Menzies will resume his seat. He assumed he had indulgence; he has not got indulgence anymore. A paper has been tabled—end of story. There is no point of order and I will deal with people that I think are now being deliberately disruptive. I have on four occasions given the Clerk the call; I have been very generous.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Andrews interjecting

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

The member for Menzies will leave the chamber for one hour under standing order 94A. The Clerk.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Andrews interjecting

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

I name the member for Menzies.

Kevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

By all means. Minister Albanese, usually you give an explanation—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

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

Order! Sit down! The member for Menzies has been here long enough and I will give him one chance. All that has happened is that a paper has been tabled. It has no status. I am assuming that, given it has no status until the House moves a motion about the sitting pattern for next year, there is no sitting pattern.

I am quite happy to sit here for as long as it takes the House to come to its senses because, I can assure you, I am absolutely not sure what is going on here. There has been a document tabled which, I understand, has been circulated to some members of this House—

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

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop interjecting

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

The member for Mackellar! The member for Mackellar is not assisting. I will withdraw the naming of the member for Menzies. He is out of here for an hour. The clerk is on her feet and she is going to bring on private members’ business because I think this is totally unfair to private members. The member for Menzies is out of here for an hour and I expect that overnight he might think about what he has done.

The member for Menzies then left the chamber.