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Monday, 19 March 2012
Page: 3227

Mr SHORTEN (Maribyrnong—Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) (12:04): I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Before I consider the motion of the Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations I have before me the motion put by the member for Cook. Under the standing orders it is not available to the member to actually bring on a suspension motion when the order of the day has already been called on. We are not between business items—I had already called on the bill for consideration in detail by the House. In looking at the order of the day, I do not consider the motion of the member for Cook to be relevant to the business before the House.

Mr MORRISON: The wording of the motion was confirmed by the clerks before it was brought to this matter. It is open to any member to bring a suspension of standing orders at any time. I ask you to explain why a suspension of standing orders on a motion such as this cannot be brought, when we have a situation where the police commissioner of New South Wales has described this as one of the most significant smuggling activities we have seen in this country. If the government does not want to debate the motion—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The member for Cook will resume his seat.

Mr Randall interjecting—

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: I have received advice from the clerks—thank you to the member for Canning for his interjection. The clerks have advised me that, yes, the motion can be brought on, but it must be brought on in between business. I had already called on the order of the day. The motion does not relate to the business before the House. I ask the member for Cook to resume his seat for the moment. I will take the member for Cook to section 47 of the standing orders, 'Motions for suspension of orders', and will read it into the Hansard. For the benefit of those present:

(a) A Member may move, with or without notice, the suspension of any standing or other order of the House.

(b) If a suspension motion is moved on notice, it shall appear on the Notice Paper and may be carried by a majority of votes.

(c) If a suspension motion is moved without notice it:

(i) must be relevant to any business under discussion and seconded; and

(ii) can be carried only by an absolute majority of Members.

(d) Any suspension of orders shall be limited to the particular purpose of the suspension.

As I have already stated, the suspension motion does not relate to the business currently before the House.