Wednesday, 2 August 2023

Rulings from the Chair

Adjournment

The SPEAKER (09:34): The Deputy Speaker referred last night’s adjournment debate matters to me for review, following the Minister for Housing querying whether the matters raised by the members for Caulfield and Morwell were in order. I note, as the Deputy Speaker did, that the minister responded to the substance of the matter raised by the member for Morwell, so I will take that matter as dealt with, and I have not reviewed it.

The other matters are as follows. The member for Caulfield raised a matter for the Deputy Premier. The Minister for Housing expressed a view that the language used in the matter was unparliamentary and out of order. While the member was critical of the Deputy Premier, I do not find that he used unparliamentary language or impugned the minister. My greater concern with the matter is whether it is addressed to the correct portfolio, because as I understand it, the Deputy Premier has no specific administrative accountabilities to the house attached to the role of Deputy Premier. I think the matter would have been better addressed to the minister in her capacity as Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, but I will leave it to the Deputy Premier to respond as she sees fit. The matter is in order. All other adjournment matters raised were in order.

However, all of that said, I observe a pattern emerging in adjournment debate matters where members clearly set out the action they seek of a minister but without specifying the problem that needs solving. The purpose of the adjournment debate is to raise matters of public concern and request that a minister take some action to address the issue. I refer all members to Speaker Christie’s and Speaker Andrianopoulos’s rulings about the adjournment debate on page 1 of Rulings from the Chair. The adjournment debate is not an opportunity to give a set speech on a topic. Instead, members should bring an issue to a minister’s attention and seek the minister’s assistance in resolving it.