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

I move:

That:

(1) the House invite the Honourable Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, to attend and address the House on Tuesday, 8 July 2014, at 10.50 am;

(2) unless otherwise ordered, at the sitting of the House on Tuesday, 8 July 2014:

(a) the proceedings shall be welcoming remarks by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and an address by the Prime Minister of Japan, after which the sitting of the House automatically shall be adjourned; and

(b) the provisions of standing order 257(c) shall apply to the area of Members' seats as well as the galleries;

(3) a message be sent to the Senate inviting Senators to attend the House as guests for the welcoming remarks by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and address by the Prime Minister of Japan; and

(4) any variation to this arrangement be made only by an action by the Speaker.

On 8 July, Tuesday week, at 10.50 am the Prime Minister of Japan will be attending the parliament to address a joint sitting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. We envisage that that will take an hour or so and other invitations may be issued to members for the rest of the day. We are very much looking forward to the Prime Minister of Japan visiting Australia and we are privileged and honoured that he will accept our invitation to address the parliament on 8 July at 10.50 am.

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition supports the motion, welcomes the opportunity that Prime Minister Abe will be addressing the parliament and provides full support for this. It is a great thing for this parliament when we have leaders of other countries come and address us. We look very much forward to it, and I have no doubt that this would be the best of the resolutions moved by the Leader of the House today.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the House and the Manager of Opposition Business for such an accord of welcome being made on this occasion. The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Question agreed to.