Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I inform the House that the Prime Minister will be absent from question time today as he attends the funeral service for Phillip Hughes in Macksville. He will be accompanied by the Minister for Health and the Assistant Minister for Employment. I understand that the Leader of the Opposition will also be attending that funeral.

I will answer questions on behalf of the Prime Minister. The Leader of the House will answer questions on behalf of the Minister for Health and the Assistant Minister for Employment. Questions to the Deputy Prime Minister should be directed to the Treasurer, today and tomorrow, while the Deputy Prime Minister attends to personal matters.

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

Before I ask for questions without notice I think it is timely to recall that, indeed, the absence of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition is due to the funeral of Phil Hughes, and that the time of that funeral coincides with this proceeding of the House today. Perhaps we could consider that in our discourse in the chamber today.