Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

I thank most senators for the manner in which this debate has been undertaken. The simple fact is that, prior to sessional order 22 being implemented, all that was required by our standing orders was in standing order 73(4):

In answering a question, a senator shall not debate it.

As a result of question time falling into disrepute and disrepair, the Senate voted for sessional order 22 to apply, requiring that answers be directly relevant to each question.

We had a contribution from Senator Bob Brown which, if I might say so, was somewhat unfortunate in relation to the assertions made as to Greens questions: that they are never too long and never political. In the very short period of time that we have had, just yesterday I found that page 20 of the proof Hansard records Senator Milne asking a question, ending with ‘(Time expired)’. In other words, she ran out of time. Why? Because the question was too long.