Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. Standing order 191 says this, and I will read it in full:

A senator who has spoken to a question may again be heard, to explain some material part of the senator’s speech which has been misquoted or misunderstood, but shall not introduce any new matter, or interrupt any senator speaking, and no debatable matter shall be brought forward or debate arise ...

Ever since Senator Boswell was clearly misquoted by Senator Brown—and deliberately I suggest—there have been other people speaking. The words of the standing order clearly make no reference to speaking in the same debate. I am not sure quite where that comes from. It does not say it in the words of the standing order. If you are suggesting to me that there is some precedent that should be followed then I cannot see how any precedent could overcome the clear sense of the words there. Senator Boswell was not able to interrupt any other speaker speaking and ever since he was misquoted other speakers have been speaking and then there was a vote called and he was unable to do it then and he has done it at the very first time that he has possibly had the opportunity to do it. Mr President, I think procedural fairness requires that where Senator Boswell claims to have been misquoted—and I am sure he has been—he should be given the opportunity of putting it on the record.