Disorderly House

Friday sittings of the House of Representatives aren't likely to be productive in the least, but they should prove to be entertaining.

Listening today, I was quite shocked at the behaviour of the opposition, which was anything but orderly or respectful of the Speaker. If anything, they were deliberately disruptive and adversarial. Between 9:15am and 9:30am it all happened.

Mr Ciobo, 9:15:42 AM, moved—That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the Member for Moncrieff from moving—That “at 12 p.m. each and every Friday that this House sits, the Speaker shall interrupt the business before the House and call on questions without notice for a period of one hour and thirty minutes”.

Closure of Member

Dr Kelly, 9:16:11 AM, moved—That the Member be no longer heard.

Question—put.

A division having been called for, in accordance with standing order 133 the division was deferred until the commencement of the next sitting.

Point of order, Mr Hockey, 9:17:11 AM, Point of order, Mr Hockey, 9:18:11 AM

Mr Hartsuyker, 9:18:52 AM, (seconder) addressing the House—

Point of order, Mr Baldwin, 9:19:08 AM

Closure of Member

Dr Kelly, 9:19:33 AM, moved—That the Member be no longer heard.

Question—put.

A division having been called for, in accordance with standing order 133 the division was deferred until the commencement of the next sitting.

Point of order, Mr Hockey, 9:19:48 AM

Speaker’s ruling

The Speaker ruled that the question before the Chair had to be deferred until the next sitting in accordance with standing order 133.

Dissent from ruling moved

Mr Hockey, 9:20:06 AM moved dissent from ruling

Closure of Member

Mr Albanese, 9:21:21 AM, moved—That the Member be no longer heard.

Question—put.

A division having been called for, in accordance with standing order 133 the division was deferred until the commencement of the next sitting.

Point of order, Mr Truss, 9:21:52 AM

Ms J. Bishop, 9:22:22 AM, (seconder) addressing the House—

Closure of Member

Mr Albanese, 9:22:34 AM, moved—That the Member be no longer heard.

Question—put.

A division having been called for, in accordance with standing order 133 the division was deferred until the commencement of the next sitting.

Question—That the Speaker’s ruling be dissented from—put.

A division having been called for, in accordance with standing order 133 the division was deferred until the commencement of the next sitting.

Mr Ciobo, seeking to speak on motion to suspend standing orders, 9:24:53 AM—

Member ordered to withdraw

Speaker ordered Mr Ciobo to withdraw for 1 hour for defying the Chair, 9:25:36 AM

Mr Ciobo refusing to withdraw from the Chamber, the Speaker ordered the Serjeant-at-Arms to direct the Member to leave the Chamber, 9:26:32 AM, Point of order, Mr Hockey, 9:26:36 AM, Point of order, Mr Abbott, 9:26:59 AM

Member ordered to withdraw

Speaker ordered Mr Abbott to withdraw for 1 hour for reflecting on the Chair, 9:27:22 AM

The chamber door must have been worked off its hinges with all the opposition members on their way out. The shouting, cat-calls and general noisy hub-bub was tremendous and I have to say, quite akin to a Parliamentary form of civil disobedience. Then, at 12:40pm, it was on again:

Mr Hartsuyker, 12:40:45 PM

Member ordered to withdraw

The Deputy Speaker ordered Mr Hartsuyker to withdraw for 1 hour for defying the Chair, 12:44:05 PM, Point of order, Mr Albanese, 12:44:27 PM, Point of order, Mr Abbott, 12:45:01 PM, the Deputy Speaker ordered Mr Randall to remove a placard he was holding up from the House, 12:46:35 PM, Point of order, Mr Hockey, 12:46:45 PM, Point of order, Mr Albanese, 12:47:12 PM, Point of order, Mr Hockey, 12:47:35 PM, Point of order, Mr Albanese, 12:47:59 PM, Point of order, Mr Hockey, 12:48:19 PM, Mr Hartsuyker, 12:48:48 PM

Member named

The Deputy Speaker, 12:50:11 PM, named the Member for Cowper (Mr Hartsuyker) for defying the Chair.

Mr Albanese, 12:50:24 PM, moved—That the Member for Cowper be suspended from the service of the House.

Question—put.

A division having been called for, in accordance with standing order 133 the division was deferred until the commencement of the next sitting.

Point of order, Mr Abbott, 12:51:07 PM

Member ordered to withdraw

The Deputy Speaker ordered Mrs Gash to withdraw for 1 hour for reflecting on the Chair, 12:51:13 PM

Point of order, Mr Albanese, 12:51:56 PM, Point of order, Mr Abbott, 12:52:58 PM, Point of order, Mr Bevis, 12:53:45 PM, Point of order, Mr Hockey, 12:54:50 PM

Suspension of sitting

At 12.56 p.m., the Deputy Speaker left the Chair.

Resumption of sitting

At 2 p.m., the Speaker resumed the Chair.

The Speaker made a statement in relation to the days proceedings and conduct of Members of the House.

The time allotted for the debate having expired—

Question—That grievances be noted—put and passed, 2:01:10 PM.

Deferred quorum

In accordance with standing order 55(c) the Speaker counted the House, at the desire of Mr Lindsay, and declared a quorum was present. (see item No. 5, page3), 2:01:43 PM

Quorum declared present, 2:01:50 PM

Clearly, the opposition isn't at all comfortable with the government doing what government's do, which is run proceedings as it sees fit. I do believe, however, that Standing Order 133 is rather futile and need not be utilised if Friday sittings are to be the norm. It does beg the question though. Should the government alter the proceedings of Friday sittings, thereby giving in to a mob who, when in government themselves, ran anything BUT a democratic Parliament? I think not. So what is the answer? I'd suggest the moving of motions be allowed, whereby the Speaker can validly rule against those who care to make a mockery of the Westminister system. It's not necessary for the Prime Minister to be in the house if Question Time isn't being held, and while Fridays haven't usually been a sitting day, clearly not having QT is no loss. I also like the way Harry Jenkins handled today's fracas, which was as much a direct challenge to his authority as it was a tilt at the government.