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House of Representatives                                Ch 15                                                 p 531

Supplementary questions

The Speaker may allow supplementary questions to be asked to clarify an answer to a question asked during Question Time. ¹

When first introduced into the standing orders in 1950, the term ‘supplementary question’ was not intended to signify an immediate follow-up question by the original questioner. Rather it was intended that Members could henceforth ask questions without notice based upon answers to earlier, but not necessarily immediately preceding, questions. ² Prior to 1950 questions without notice based on the answers to questions asked in the same session had been disallowed. ³ The purpose of the restriction was to avoid a series of questions on the same subject which would develop into a debate. ⁴ A similar concern was probably in mind in 1950 when the House amended the standing orders to permit supplementary questions but to limit them to one for each answer. However, the Chair found it impracticable to limit supplementary questions in this way. In practice further questions could be, and were, asked provided Members did not describe them as supplementary questions. In 1962, on the recommendation of the Standing Orders Committee, the standing orders were amended to permit more than one supplementary question. ⁵

In view of the wording of the standing order it is within the discretion of the Speaker to permit immediate supplementary questions. The fact that such a practice would be contrary to that of alternating the call between the left and right of the Chair counted against its adoption, ⁶ but in 1993 the Procedure Committee recommended that immediate supplementary questions be allowed. ⁷ In responding to the report the Government stated its preference for the traditional arrangement. ⁸

In 1996, using the discretion bestowed by the standing order, Speaker Halverson commenced a practice of allowing immediate supplementary questions. ⁹ He required that the supplementary question should arise from the Minister’s answer, that it be regarded as part of one question, that it should be in precise and direct terms without preamble and that it should be asked by the Member who had asked the original question. Subsequent Speakers discontinued this practice, favouring the traditional arrangement. ¹⁰

S.O. 101(b).

H.R. Deb. (22.3.50) 1055.

H.R. Deb. (22.10.36) 1194.

H.R. Deb. (2.4.41) 511.

H of R 1 (1962-63) 33.

H.R. Deb. (27.2.80) 406.

PP 194 (1993) 24-25.

VP 1993-95/752.

H.R. Deb. (28.5.96) 1493.

H.R. Deb (4.3.98) 394-5, 416-7; H.R. Deb (11.11.98) 107; H.R. Deb. (17.11.2004) 73.