Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to move a motion.

Leave not granted.

That is a little disappointing. I move:

That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for North Sydney from moving the following motion forthwith—That the resolution of the House of Representatives of 8 May 2012, regarding the management of proceedings in respect of Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013, Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2012-2013, Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013, Appropriation Bill (No. 5) 2011-2012 and Appropriation Bill (No. 6) 2011-2012, be rescinded to allow the House to properly consider the proposal contained in Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 2012-2013, to increase the Commonwealth debt ceiling from $250 billion to $300 billion.

Stop covering up! Have a proper debate!

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

Order! The member for North Sydney will resume his seat.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I would ask that the member withdraw that last comment.

Honourable members interjecting—

What am I covering up?

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

The Leader of the House will resume his seat.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, I don't withdraw!

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

The member for North Sydney does not have the call. He will resume his seat. I call the Leader of the House.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, the shadow Treasurer is alleging that the budget papers are somehow not transparent; they are!

Opposition members interjecting—

I read in the Australian that he, indeed, said he supported this measure!

Mr Pyne interjecting—

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

The Manager of Opposition Business does not have the call. I call the Leader of the House.

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

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Lock the doors. The question is that the member be no longer heard. The ayes will pass—

In division—

No! Lock the doors; too late—no way; not on. Out!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, you just called him back in.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did actually call him back in, because the doors had locked.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Government Whip—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Government Whip does not have the authority. I actually said he should return to the chamber because the doors had been locked and he was actually in the chamber when I said, 'Lock the doors.' In accordance with the rules, I had asked him to stay in the chamber, as the doors had been locked. I think that is the right way to proceed.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, I raise a point of order. Just to clarify: as we said that we would not accept the vote of the member for Dobell, when we realised—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney does not have the call. The member for North Sydney, it is not for the opposition or the government to accept a member's vote. We need to clarify this: it is for the parliament to accept a member's vote. The member for North Sydney.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition has said it would not accept the vote of the member for Dobell and if the member for Dobell entered the House and voted with us, we would have someone leave the chamber. To provide clarity, we became aware that the member for Dobell was sitting on our side, and that is why the Leader of the Opposition and the Manager of Opposition Business attempted to leave the House, on that note. The member, obviously—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for North Sydney has made his point. We are in the middle of a division. The issue still remains that, when the call for the doors to be locked has been made, those in the chamber must be counted in the vote. I understand the point the member for North Sydney is making, but there is no ability for the parliament to exclude a member's vote. The member for Groom is seeking the call. I would like to now, before that, put the question. The question is that the member be no longer heard.

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Madam Deputy Speaker, on a point of order: you are classed as outside the chamber if you are past the adviser's box.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition was on the floor at the time—that is the chamber. We will now proceed with the vote. The question is that the member be no longer heard.

The member for North Sydney's time has expired. Is the motion seconded?

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. This Treasurer is addicted to debt.

Opposition members: Hear, hear!

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Goldstein will refer to the motion before the chair.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am, Madam Deputy Speaker. 'Debt' is a dirty word for this government, a word never to be mentioned—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Goldstein will refer to the motion before the chair.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We need to suspend standing orders, Madam Deputy Speaker, because this government is ashamed and embarrassed with the cover up that is taking place with this debt.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Goldstein will resume his seat. The Leader of the House.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, I raise a point of order. The member must argue why standing orders should be suspended. That is the motion that is before the chair and that is what the member for Goldstein must refer to.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The member for Goldstein must refer to the motion before the chair.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The reason that standing orders must be suspended, the very important reason that they must be suspended, is that this government knows that a proper debate about debt would expose the extent of its profligacy. The government has gagged debate. We have seen it again already. The way this government has gagged debate about debt exposes both its shame and its shamelessness. It is ashamed because it does not want the public to know and it is shameless because it does not care. It does not care about the dead weight of debt that this government is putting—

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Goldstein will resume his seat.

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

Madam Deputy Speaker, the member is going to the substance of the motion that he is attempting to suspend standing orders for. The member must stick to the suspension of standing orders that is before the chair.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the House will resume his seat. The member for Goldstein has the call.

Andrew Robb (Goldstein, Liberal Party, Chairman of the Coalition Policy Development Committee) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The need to suspend standing orders is quite clear when you look at the problem that we are addressing with this motion. This is a government quite incapable of living within its means. It is still borrowing $100 million a day and this is why—

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

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question is that the member be no longer heard.

The time for the debate on this motion has expired. Can I record my thanks and appreciation to the parliament for their good humour in what has been a trying issue. I am trying to assure the clerks that I am not trying to make it into House of Representatives Practice. I seem to be doing so every day, so I want to thank everyone for their help in these matters. Thank you.