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

Mr Speaker, I refer you to page 432 of House of Representatives Practice and the references there to question and answer sessions during debate on budget appropriations. I ask whether you would be prepared to review proceedings in the Federation Chamber earlier today, when agriculture department appropriations were under consideration. Further, I ask that when you do so—or if you do so—you further consider a reference to the procedure committee, which might be in order, to consider whether the capacity of private members to hold ministers to account could be further improved.

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

I thank the member for Hunter. I will certainly examine the Practice in that regard. I will point out to him a couple of things before I do that and I will report back, probably in writing, to him. But many of us have had experience in the Federation Chamber during consideration in detail. The obvious point I would make—and I will look at the Practice—is that, whilst there are certainly conventions that questions are asked as part of the five-minute contributions, it is not question time. And with respect to the procedure committee, certainly that is something that, if the procedure committee wishes to take it up, they are more than welcome to, in examining these sorts of matters all the time. But I will certainly undertake to examine the matters raised by the member for Hunter.