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

My question refers to page 567 of House of Representatives Practice and goes to when questions are taken on notice. We have a formalised procedure under standing orders when questions are put on the Notice Paper. When questions are taken on notice by ministers during question time, as they were by the Prime Minister yesterday, 567 of Practice allows two alternative procedures, either that the member is directly written to or that the relevant minister provides the information here on the floor of the House. I ask that we find a way of clarifying which procedure is to be followed within the House. In terms of the administration of the House, there are documents with respect to a slideshow and a summary briefing that the Prime Minister undertook to provide the information back to me yesterday. It has not happened. I am just asking what sort of procedure we should follow.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am happy to rule on this now. I am very familiar with the issue that the Manager of Opposition Business is raising. As you will find through the history of these things, really, it is a matter for the minister as to the timing of any response and the nature of it. Of course, the other obvious point is if a member who is asked a question is not happy with the timing or, indeed, the nature when a response occurs, there is always the opportunity to ask another question.