Points of Order — Oral Questions—Ministerial Responsibility and Accountability

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. It is not in relation to that matter; I just want to make that clear. I seek your guidance and, I hope, your considered ruling on an issue that came through yesterday in question time and is there in the question today. It is in relation to ministerial responsibility and accountability, particularly in relation to this issue, which we did discuss yesterday, about the past Government and the current Government. Of course, what we had yesterday was question No. 1 from a Government member to the Minister of Finance, where there was quite specific reference to the last Government’s programme and the defence white paper, and so on. And then, of course, we had the question from the Opposition spokesman, and rulings there.

Today, we’ve got, for example, question No. 5 to the transport Minister: “Has he [seen] any reports … under the previous Government”—

💬 Mr SPEAKER: No—can the member read it out completely?

Yeah, look, I can: “Has he received any reports commissioned under the previous Government that show the value of investment in rail?” You, effectively, ruled—I come back to Speaker’s ruling 159/3 where it makes it quite clear that, “Ministers in the Government of the day are not responsible for the activities of the previous administration.” So I’m really just seeking your guidance on that cutting both ways in relation to both—

I’ll stop the member now, so that I won’t need to come back with a considered ruling. The question is very clear: “Has he received any reports …?” If he has received a report, then it doesn’t matter when it was commissioned, if he has received it—and remember, it’s not “seen it”; it’s not “read it in the paper”. If it is received as a Minister, then he is responsible for it.

Speaking to the point of order.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Is this a—

It’s related, but not to that question. I note that question No. 8 is another example that sort of steers the line, if you like. It says, “What was the expected date, prior to the General Election, that the Residential Advisory Service would cease operations,”. Again, that seems to ask the Minister in regard to something that relates to—

No, I’m going to sit the member down now. I don’t know if the member is deliberately trifling with my time, but I expect a member, before taking a point of order like that, to read the whole question.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I do think, with the greatest respect, that it is the role of the Opposition—all members, in fact—we have a right and a responsibility to raise points of order and to have them understood—

The member will resume his seat. Of course I respect the rights of members to raise points of order. I hope the member will respect my right to stop members when it’s clear that nothing will be added to the House by them continuing, and I certainly expect members, before they raise a point of order in relation to the eligibility for a particular question, to read to the end, where the ministerial responsibility is very clear.

Oral Questions—Reflections on Speaker