Tuesday, 14 November 2023

Rulings from the Chair

Questions without notice

The PRESIDENT (12:04): Before we start question time, I want to clarify the rules and processes of the house in relation to directing questions without notice to a single portfolio and to the responsible minister – that being both the substantive and supplementary question.

A member asking a question should clearly indicate which portfolio they are directing their question to. Members can seek assistance from the clerks if they need advice about which is the appropriate portfolio for their question. If a minister advises during the course of the asking of the question or in their response that a substantive question should be directed to a different minister, the Chair must accept that at face value. It is not the Chair’s role to question a minister. The Chair will offer the member asking the question an opportunity to redirect the question. If they elect not to do so, the minister can answer as they see fit. Where a minister indicates the matter has been misdirected and should go to a different portfolio and the member does not agree, there are avenues for the member to pursue this – for example, moving a motion to take an answer into consideration or giving notice of a substantive motion.

Substantive questions and supplementary questions must be addressed to the same portfolio. If a supplementary question asks about matters outside the portfolio of the minister who was asked the substantive question, it is open to the minister to indicate that the matter does not fall inside their portfolio responsibilities and to decline to answer the question. In this instance, that is considered a response to the question and therefore the Chair will not rule that a written response is required under the standing orders. If the minister offers to seek additional information from the responsible minister, that is outside the standing orders and the minister should provide that information directly to the member when convenient.