Wednesday, 27 August 2025

Statements on parliamentary committee reports

Standing Orders Committee

Inquiry into Including Sessional Orders and Ongoing Resolutions in the Standing Orders

Matt FREGON (Ashwood) (10:11): It is my great pleasure to relay to the house our recent committee report from the Standing Orders Committee, which I know you are the chair of, Speaker, and we are very lucky to have you there. This was an inquiry into including sessional orders and ongoing resolutions in the standing orders. Our standing orders are a moving feast, just like every other law in this place in the green books on the table, and it is a case of chipping away as we evolve as a state and as a Parliament. I note that next year we will be celebrating 170 years of this place, and I have no doubt that our standing orders have changed quite a lot since then. Just a few weeks ago, Speaker, while in your absence, I do recall reading out I think a ruling from the Chair from 1933, which seemed relevant at the time to instruct – well, ‘instruct’ is the wrong word – or to encourage members of the house to understand.

Mathew Hilakari interjected.

Matt FREGON: I would argue that the member Point Cook is currently being disorderly, but obviously that would be reflecting on the Chair for me to say that, so I will not do that, because that would be against the standing orders.

Before I waffle on too much, I do want to cover the inclusions that we have made in this committee report, and there are two main inclusions here. We did discuss other things, and I will come to that if I get time. I might come back to speak on another committee report and continue on this very important topic. But we have done two things: firstly, we have sorted out electronic petitions, which, when you think of 170 years, is a relatively new phenomenon in this place. We have incorporated those petitions, which we did get consensus on, and I will come back to that again if I have time.

The other thing that we have now formally put in the standing orders is that when you get ejected – sorry, not you, Speaker; obviously that would be inappropriate. When one gets ejected from the house during question time –

A member interjected.

Matt FREGON: I will take that interjection. It does happen. I have done it myself. But when one gets ejected from the house during question time, that time that you are ejected is just for question time. Ironically, if you get ejected just before question time, it continues. But if one – I have got to use the ‘one’. I thank our Clerk of the Parliament for pointing this out.

Part of our problem with the word ‘you’ in this house is that we used to, as a state, use the word ‘one’, and we do not do that anymore because it sounds a little bit like Rumpole of the Bailey. We now in our colloquial language say ‘you’, but of course, ‘you’, Speaker, refers to you, the Speaker, and we need to as members get a handle on this. I am not suggesting that we are all going to turn around and start using the word ‘one’, because that would sound a bit odd, but we do have problems with the evolution of language in this place in that the standing orders do not quite keep up. This is maybe something we can raise at future standing committee meetings.

A member: A point of order.

Matt FREGON: You cannot do a point of order. I saw this earlier. There is a member in this place who raised a point of order – look, I apologise, Speaker. This is turning into a stream of consciousness.

A member: For you or us?

Matt FREGON: For me. Thank you; I am enjoying myself. I have seen points of order raised in this house which are essentially ‘I’ve had a thought. Can we have a chat, Speaker?’ That is not what we are doing here. As you, Speaker, eloquently put it yesterday, we are here for a debate, not a conversation. We are trying to relay points. If one has a conversation with the Speaker in their mind, they should, as you have rightly pointed out, Speaker, come and see the Speaker outside the house – just a friendly tip to whoever that member was. I would like to thank the subcommittee members, and I will get to that next time.

The SPEAKER: The member for Ashwood’s time has expired, thankfully.