Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I am sure Senator Abetz was by no means insinuating any inference against Senator Faulkner whatsoever. I am sure Senator Faulkner did not take it that way and certainly Senator Abetz did not mean it that way. But I think it was obvious to all on this side that Senator Hutchins was speaking in an extraordinarily slow and delayed fashion, which is not the normal way that he asks a question. I do think that, if this place is to operate effectively, we have to operate on normal procedures and people must ask their questions normally, not prolong them in such a fashion as to ensure that the opposition is denied a question. I do not think that goes to the good running of the Senate and I would ask the government to consider that matter in the future conduct of question time.