Jew World Order

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives Harry Jenkins says he’ll take a much tougher approach to the question time tactics of both the Government and Opposition, after another spiteful session in Parliament. He says he’s been trying for four years to impose new rules on questions and answers, and has constantly criticised some MPs for their behaviour in what was meant to be a more open and accountable Parliament.

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MARK COLVIN: Remember the promises of a kinder, gentler politics?

A little over a year ago the new Federal Parliament began sitting with the promise of more accountability and better behaviour from MPs and Senators.

But in a year when carbon pricing and immigration policies have dominated the political agenda, there’s been little of that on show.

Today’s question time was characterised again by spiteful jibes and interjections.

Debate on the Government’s carbon tax bills was also a scratchy affair.

But having spent all year warning MPs about the community’s perception of their behaviour, the Speaker Harry Jenkins finally lost his patience with the question time tactics of both sides.

From Canberra, Naomi Woodley reports.

NAOMI WOODLEY: Federal MPs have spent most of the day debating the Government’s package of carbon tax bills; lead off by the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott this morning.

TONY ABBOTT: What we have from this government is politically and economically and environmentally disastrous. But it’s more than that; it is going to turn out to be the longest political suicide note in Australian history.

LIBERAL BACKBENCH: Hear, hear!

NAOMI WOODLEY: The Independent MP Rob Oakeshott was just as passionate in stating his support for the Government’s plan, which he helped to negotiate.

ROB OAKESHOTT: I strongly support pricing carbon. It is not a tax. We all know you can’t buy and sell a tax. This is a carbon permit trading scheme. It is the smartest, lowest cost, lowest risk solution to the very real science question before us.

NAOMI WOODLEY: There was a ripple of interest around Parliament House this morning when the former Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull’s name appeared on today’s speaker’s list, until his office said it was a mistake.

Mr Turnbull hasn’t yet decided if he’ll speak in the debate, but says he hasn’t been gagged.

MALCOLM TURNBULL: I’m going to study the debate, you know listen to the debate and read the contributions by members of the House and study the legislation carefully and then I’ll make a decision, as I always do, with bills that are not within my portfolio.

NAOMI WOODLEY: But he was also asked how close the current carbon tax legislation is to the previous government’s trading scheme he negotiated to support, shortly before being dumped as Opposition leader in 2009.

MALCOLM TURNBULL: I don’t want to give you an authoritative answer on that but I think all of these schemes have got a lot in common. This one obviously has quite a lengthy fixed-price period, that’s why it’s called a carbon tax.

NAOMI WOODLEY: The Government’s leader of the House, Anthony Albanese, leapt on that statement in question time.

MALCOLM TURNBULL: Both are supported not just in his heart but in his head by the member for Wentworth, as they are supported by everyone who takes climate change seriously.

NAOMI WOODLEY: In another rancorous question time, the Opposition’s focus remained on the Malaysia asylum seeker deal, and the allegations facing the Labor backbencher, Craig Thomson.

The manager of Opposition business is Christopher Pyne.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I refer the Prime Minister to the disparaging remarks she made with respect to the Chief Justice of the High Court, when he rejected her failed Malaysian people swap deal. How does the Prime Minister reconcile her criticism of Chief Justice French for doing his job with her rock solid support for the Member for Dobell, who’s alleged to have misused the union funds of the poorest paid workers on personal items that are restaurant, accommodation and liquor bills, airline tickets for himself and his spouse, election expenses and escort agencies?

NAOMI WOODLEY: The Government moved to have the question ruled out of order, but the Speaker Harry Jenkins decided to let it stand with some reservations.

HARRY JENKINS: It is not in any way condoning a form of words that’s been used against a member of this place that goes beyond the standard practice.

NAOMI WOODLEY: Anthony Albanese protested further.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: It’s out of order under standing order 100D Part 2 – Arguments. It’s out of order under standing order 100D3 – Inferences. It’s out of order under standing order 100D4 – Imputations. It’s out of order under standing order 100D5 – Insults. It’s out of order under standing order 100D7 – Hypothetical matter. And I would ask you to rule the question out of order.

NAOMI WOODLEY: But he didn’t draw the response he was looking for.

HARRY JENKINS: Well, this is a big change in the game. So I’ve got to decide whether I rule out most of the questions from both sides. And I’m happy to do that if that’s the wish of the House, because I’ve tried for four years to get a sensible set of rules for Question Time and if they want me to implement my version of the rules, I’m happy to. And if we want to start from now, I’m happy to rule the question out of order.

NAOMI WOODLEY: And the speaker stuck to his word with the very next question from the Labor backbencher Maria Vamvakinou.

MARIA VAMVAKINOU: Minister how is the Government delivering on its commitments to support pensioners to balance their budgets? What risks are there to this support and how is the government responding?

HARRY JENKINS: The last two parts of that question are out of order; I will allow the first part.

NAOMI WOODLEY: After last year’s close election result a series of changes to parliamentary practice were agreed to by all sides of politics, designed to deliver more scrutiny and accountability.

But in reality there’s been little difference and Harry Jenkins has constantly expressed his frustration at the behaviour of some MPs. Today he’s signalled he might finally have had enough.

MARK COLVIN: Naomi Woodley.