Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture. Did the minister use the following words in his answer last Monday?

… if you were also a recipient of the Interim Farm Household Allowance … —

and—

… unless it is a new application.

If not, how did these words appear in the official Hansard?

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party, Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. Quite obviously, when the question was being answered—amongst the barrage of noise—we went and found the information. And that information actually does not come from my department; it comes from the Department of Human Services. When we had that information, it was precisely as we delivered in the actual answer to your question, and we put that precisely on the record—that is, as before: there were 4,957 applications; 4,098 were granted; 453 were rejected; and 4,011 are receiving payment.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—So you changed the Hansard!

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

The member for Isaacs will desist.

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

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

Madam Speaker, I refer you to page 621 of House of Representatives Practice which states, with respect to Hansard:

… emendations which alter the sense of words used in debate or introduce new matter are not admissible …

In terms of forms of the House—

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

This is not relevant to question time. There are other forms of the House you may use.

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

what path do you advise us to pursue, given that there has been a clear breach of practice?

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

The Manager of Opposition Business will resume his seat. The Leader of the House?

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

Madam Speaker, questions to do with the management of Hansard are quite properly put to you at the end of question time, not used as a debating point during question time. I suggest that, if the Manager of Opposition Business has such a question, he should put it to you at the appropriate time.

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

I would simply say to the Manager of Opposition Business that, if he wishes to make a serious allegation, he knows perfectly well what the forms of the House are. I call the honourable the member for Corangamite.