Mr MARTIN FERGUSON —My question is to the Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business. When the Industrial Relations Commission invited Australian citizens and community organisations to make submissions to its inquiry on youth wages, did you advise those people that you in fact intended to resolve the issue three months before the inquiry was even scheduled to report? Minister, weren't the 63 people and community organisations who went to the time and expense to make these submissions just another group you deceived or perhaps misled to get your way?

Mr Andrews —Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. Under standing order 76, it is my submission that the words used by the honourable member for Batman relating to `deceived' contain imputations of improper motives and the question should be ruled out of order.

Mr SPEAKER —I invite the member for Batman to rephrase the question.

Mr Lee —Mr Speaker, on the point of order: in making your ruling on the honourable member's point of order—

Mr Reith —He has made it.

Mr Lee —I have not heard the Speaker make a ruling. Mr Speaker, before you make your ruling will you take into account the fact that the current Prime Minister was allowed to use the expression `deliberately deceive' in the last parliament?

Mr SPEAKER —The member for Dobell will resume his seat. In an effort not to frustrate the intention of the member for Batman, the Speaker has invited him simply to restate the question, obviously excluding that word.

Mr MARTIN FERGUSON —Mr Speaker, I will take your direction, but clearly indicate that the question was based on previously accepted terms by you as the Speaker.

Mr SPEAKER —I accept your, as it were, admonition, but it is not my intention to frustrate your wish to ask the question. I simply make the point that I do not think that word should be persistently part of the parliamentary repertoire.

Mr MARTIN FERGUSON —I hope that rule also applies to the Prime Minister.

Mr SPEAKER —The member for Batman is stepping outside what has been an act of grace by the chair.

Mr MARTIN FERGUSON —Mr Speaker, on the basis of your new ruling, the final paragraph of my question is as follows: weren't the 63 people and community organisations who went to the time and considerable expense of making these submissions just another group you misled to get your way?

Mr REITH (Workplace Relations and Small Business) —No. We had a clear policy on this in the election. It has been the subject of a lot of debate and, furthermore, we put a submission ourselves.