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

The member for Riverina is warned. No; in fact, the member for Riverina will leave the chamber for one hour under 94(a). The Opposition Whip can take his place.

The member for Riverina then left the chamber.

Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During the divisions, the Leader of the House made an unparliamentary remark. I ask that he be asked to return to the chamber and withdraw. I know what he said is unparliamentary because I have been made to withdraw the same comment.

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

I did not hear the remark, so I say what I said on a previous occasion when somebody drew my attention to a remark that I did not hear and invited me to invite the member to return and withdraw: I am not going to entertain that. I make the point to the member for Barker that he has been here long enough to know that there is not a list of words; there is context. I say to the member for Riverina that sometimes there is context in other things that happen around this place. But one thing that is consistent, as the member for Indi found and the member for Riverina has just found too, is that we will not tolerate reflections on the chair. I take this opportunity to express my disappointment at the way in which people in the chair from the Speaker's panel were treated in last night's debate in the consideration in detail stage.

The other point I make to the member for Barker is that there were a number of remarks which I did hear during the divisions and which were foolish in the extreme. I have yet to see evidence that there are members in this place who value their vote in divisions enough to realise that they are in the chamber of the House of Representatives and that they should behave and contain their emotions. If members contain their emotions, I might be able to contain my emotions.