Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Deputy President, I encourage you to re-consider that decision. I acknowledge that there have been a couple of examples in extremis recently that has seen the call withdrawn in the chamber. Those examples have only operated in extremis. In 17 years here, I have seen plenty of backwards and forwards across the chamber. I recognise the importance of the chair having the authority to be able to control the chamber; however, in the circumstances there, I believe that a withdrawal of the call was an excessive use of that power relative to where we have seen it used to date, and it is a matter currently before the procedure committee in any event. But I would on this occasion ask you to reconsider whether this was proportionate to the circumstances that you faced.