Mr COBB —I have a question for you, Mr Speaker, and it concerns supplementary questions. In view of the increasing number of supplementary questions being asked in the chamber, will you consider counting each question and supplementary question that each member asks as 1½ questions in determining the overall allocation of questions to the opposition?

Mr SPEAKER —I have listened with some interest to the honourable member's question to me. These are not questions for me to resolve. The number of questions to be asked in any one question time is definitely within the hands of the House. This is well outside my jurisdiction.

Mr Reith —Mr Speaker, I might just say on that matter, though, partly to be of some assistance to the honourable member, that I do think it is important that the Chamber Research Office make a note and running tally of not only the questions which are answered but also the questions which are put. Those questions, as they are put, are an opportunity for a member to ask a question. Whether or not they are later ruled out of order is in the hands of the person who asked the question. Whilst it is true that House of Representatives Practice refers to supplementary questions as being part of the one question, that is a statement of the requirement to the standing orders that they must elucidate the first question.

I can say this from the government's point of view: supplementary questions, whether answered or not, whether in order or not, are certainly part and parcel of the informal arrangement whereby the opposition gets a certain number of questions, which I might say is incredibly more generous than anything that has ever existed.

Mr SPEAKER —Has the Leader of the House concluded his comments?

Mr Reith —Yes.

Mr Leo McLeay —Mr Speaker, seeing as though you let him finish, my point of order becomes a question to you. Are you going to let this man canvass every ruling that you make or is it just the ones that he feels like he wishes to?

Mr SPEAKER —Order! There is no point of order.

Mr Martin Ferguson —Just take his telephone calls more often.

Mr SPEAKER —Order! The honourable member for Batman!