Wednesday, 21 February 2024

Rulings from the Chair

Constituency questions

The SPEAKER (14:42): I have reviewed the constituency questions from yesterday and those from last sitting week. Last week the member for Murray Plains asked the minister to provide information, which I have previously ruled is a request for action, and I rule the question out of order. Yesterday the members for Eildon and Nepean both asked questions that in substance were questions but requested an action from the minister. I rule both those questions out of order. The member for Northcote asked the minister to update her community on a matter, and in line with my previous rulings that asking for an update is an action I rule her question out of order. I remind all members that the clerks are running an online training session on drafting constituency questions next Wednesday, and I encourage you and your staff to attend.

Tim Bull: On a point of order, Speaker, I want to raise an issue around overdue questions, and I know you get these subsequent to pretty much every question time. I have got 44 questions that are overdue, and I will provide a list of those to the clerks. But 21 of my 44 overdue questions date back to 2022 – 21 questions overdue from 2022 – and I have got 18 questions overdue from 2023 and already five overdue questions from this year. Speaker, I know that you follow these up with the ministers, but I would be very appreciative if we could take some serious action. A lot of these are really important issues to my electorate, and to have 21 overdue from 2022 makes a whole circus out of the situation.

The SPEAKER: Member for Gippsland East, I would like you to provide the list to the Clerk.

Tim Bull: I will provide the list to the Clerk, but if you could take some serious action I would be most appreciative.

Danny O’Brien: On a point of order, Speaker, I was not going to raise this issue in particular, but given that the member for Gippsland East has too, I would seek your guidance on the provision of questions on notice when they are not remotely related to the question asked. I asked a question that was very similar to a question asked by the member for Euroa, who got the data she was after. I asked the same question but for a longer period and did not get any data – totally irrelevant. I just seek your advice.

The SPEAKER: You are welcome to come and meet with me in my office to discuss, member for Gippsland South, but I will not be answering you in the chamber today.

Danny O’Brien: Okay. I also have some outstanding ones, if I could raise them, please.

The SPEAKER: Can you give the list to the Clerk, if it is not too long.

Danny O’Brien: It is not as long as that. Questions 788, 383, 303, 230 and 172 are all outstanding.

Kim Wells: On a point of order, Speaker, I have a number of outstanding questions on notice and constituency questions. The questions on notice are 807, 806, 811 and 810, and the constituency questions are 322 and 374. Could you follow those up, please.