Urgent Debates Declined — Education, National Standards—Removal

I have received a letter from the Hon Nikki Kaye, seeking to debate under Standing Order 389 the Government’s announcement yesterday that it had stopped national standards in education. The announcement is a matter for which there is ministerial responsibility.

The Minister of Education announced the end of national standards at 11.38 a.m. yesterday. An application for an urgent debate does not have to be lodged on the first sitting of the House after the event occurs, but not doing so will considerably weaken the case for an urgent debate—Speaker’s ruling 195/4. Previous Speakers have ruled that if a member does not raise a matter at the earliest opportunity, it may be taken as an indication that the matter is not of sufficient importance to qualify for an urgent debate—Speakers’ ruling 195/5.

The House has, generally, required applications for an urgent debate to be lodged as soon as the matter becomes known. Speakers have even accepted applications lodged within an hour of the House sitting where an event has only just become known, notwithstanding Standing Order 389(1). In my view, there was sufficient time for the member to raise the matter yesterday, before 1 p.m. While I do not know when she became aware of it, the announcement was made more than two hours before the House sat. This is a factor that I must consider when considering whether the issue is urgent enough to warrant setting aside the business of the House.

In weighing the factors, I conclude that this matter does not warrant precedence over the other business of the House today. The application is therefore declined. If the matter is one of importance to the member, it could be debated during the general debate this afternoon.