Mr ALBANESE (Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) (3:36 PM) —On indulgence, Mr Speaker, I make a brief statement in relation to the allocation of the call during question time. The government has been asked about the allocation of the call during question time. The practice of the House is that the Speaker controls the allocation of the call at all times subject to well-established conventions such as the alternation of the call between government and non-government members. The Australian Greens Party and the ALP agreement provides for a fixed and fair allocation of questions for Independents and minor party members, with the first question no later than the sixth question in each question time. I confirm the government’s commitment to this and I have discussed the matter with the Chief Government Whip as well as the non-government members, and I have advised the Manager of Opposition Business that I would this week be making this statement to the House.

During each question time, after five questions have been asked and answered, the call would ordinarily be given to a government member to ask the sixth question. In order to ensure that the commitment in the agreement is implemented in full, if at that point—that is, after the fifth question—a non-aligned member rises to seek the call, the Chief Government Whip has asked that no government member seek the call. I want to place this matter on the record for the benefit of the orderly functioning of the House and confirm that this will have no impact on the number of questions being asked by the opposition during question time.