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

My question is to the member for Dawson in his capacity as the chair of the Joint Committee on Publications. When does his committee next intend to hold public hearings? Will those public hearings seek evidence from the member for New England on whether the secret coalition agreement should be published as a parliamentary paper? In leading the committee, does the member for Dawson act with the support of other members, or does he act alone?

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

The member for Hunter can resume his seat, and the Leader of the House can resume his seat. The first part of that question relating to when the committee is scheduled or plans to have its next public hearings for the Publications Committee is the only part of the question that is in order.

George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

A nonsense question like that deserves the answer I am about to give to the member, and that is: ask a real question to government ministers, not backbenchers. That's for starters. Do that. That's your job. Secondly, my committee has been very efficient, actually. What we have done is streamlined the processes for presentation of parliamentary papers to the parliament and, as such, we no longer meet.