House debates
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Questions to the Speaker
Tennis Australia Event: Funding
2:40 pm
Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, is it appropriate to ask you a question at this point, or should that be done later?
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Under a strict interpretation of the standing orders, a dog had barked and the caravan had moved on, but, given the circumstances, if the member for Ryan has a question to me, I am a risk taker and will take the question.
Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Mr Speaker, would you please advise or make appropriate inquiries as to whether the Tennis Australia event held yesterday evening at Parliament House was a government funded event or a Labor Party funded event? If it was a government funded event, were representatives of Tennis Australia explicitly requested not to mention the event to members of the coalition? I ask this because, when I stopped to greet some of my friends from Tennis Australia, a staff member of the Minister for Small Business asked me to leave, as it was 'an ALP function'.
Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I will take the question on notice. I am not sure that it is within my province, but there is sufficient spin on the serve to allow me to attempt to hit it. I will get back to the member for Ryan—she has obviously been taking very close advice from her neighbour, whose serve I would not have seen at all if he had served one up to me!