Parliamentary Procedure

Sittings and Business

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (10:17): I move:

That standing orders be so far suspended as to enable petitions, the tabling of papers, question time and statements on matters of interest, notices of motion and orders of the day, private business, to be taken into consideration at 2.15pm.

Motion carried.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I also move:

That standing orders be so far suspended as to enable notices of motion and orders of the day, private business, to be further postponed and taken into consideration after orders of the day, government business No. 10.

The council divided on the motion:

Ayes 5

Noes 11

Majority 6

Motion thus negatived.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (10:24): Mr President, while I do have a range of questions on the establishment of the planning commission, I did talk to the minister yesterday about business to avoid the debacle we have just had, where we had police officers here to handle a bill and other members were not here. I asked the minister what her plan was for the other three or four government bills I know the government is keen to progress, and I think the decision was to do the Firearms Bill tomorrow morning.

I would like the minister to think about it and give us a bit of an answer. Are we going to do ANZAC walk and all those other little bills that the government is keen to get done tomorrow morning, so that our people, and people like the Hon. Robert Brokenshire, have more than 10 seconds' notice so that we can actually do it? I know you are very keen to progress the business of the day, but we are now at 25 past, so 10 minutes has been wasted because the Hon. Robert Brokenshire—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: I asked you a question yesterday. So I am asking the Leader of the Government if they are prepared to give all the crossbenchers and the opposition some indication of when they will do their other government business.

The PRESIDENT: We gave the Hon. Robert Brokenshire a few minutes to put a better tie on, and a jacket.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I do not think we can—

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: So you are actually not committing to giving us a little bit of notice of when you are likely to do government business?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: No; I am happy to give notice. I am just not able to give it at this point in time. I will give as much notice as I can.