John Hogg (President) Share this | Hansard source

During the debate on the National Building and Jobs Plan bills 5 February 2009 Senator Forshaw, in the chair, undertook to refer to me an intervention he made during the speech by Senator McGauran and remarks that were made during the speech. The particular intervention by the chair was to the effect that, in claiming that senators were not present in the chamber and participating in the debate because they had gone home, Senator McGauran might be making an improper reflection on those senators. It was open to the chair to suggest that those remarks might be contrary to standing order 193, and the intervention of the chair on that point was proper. As the chair noted, some senators were attending a committee hearing that the Senate had earlier ordered. The senators concerned not being present, they were not able to participate in the debate to correct the claim. Earlier in his speech Senator McGauran was required to withdraw a reflection on the chair, and that was also a proper intervention by the chair. I note that at the end of his speech Senator McGauran made a grossly unparliamentary remark about other senators and he could well have been required to withdraw that remark also.

I ask all senators to observe the standing orders and to refrain from making unparliamentary reflections on other senators during debate.