1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Could be another day of shambled as the Privileg's Committee 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: recommendations around the Murray Party rule breaking get debated. In 3 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: the Postcap Press yesterday. There was no shortage of questions 4 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 1: as to whether the government wants to cut a deal. 5 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: The Privileges Committee make that decision. They are empowered. We 6 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: have representatives as every party does in the Privileges Committee, 7 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: and the determination from the Privilege Committee we support exactly 8 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: former Speaker at the House of Lockwood Smith back, whether 9 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:27,639 Speaker 1: it's Lockwood Morning, Morning Mate, the Jerry Browne reaction, I 10 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: got mixed messages either he seemed sympathetic. He seems sympathetic 11 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 1: to the Maurory Party. Hence everybody speaks and everyone gets 12 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: an amendment and they speak to that amendment. The suggestion 13 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: from the Prime Minister on this program yesterday as those 14 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: are the rules and he couldn't do anything about it. 15 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: What's the truth? 16 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,599 Speaker 2: Well, in fact, the Speaker can do something about it, Mike. 17 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 2: I mean the first thing that obviously the speak would 18 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 2: have tried to do is get the Business Committee to 19 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 2: agree to how to handle the debate, and obviously that's failed. 20 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: It seems from what we've heard that's failed. So, but 21 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 2: then the speaker has controlled because if the debate becomes 22 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:10,119 Speaker 2: futileland and just abuse a tirade, the speaker can accept 23 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 2: a motion that the question be now put and so 24 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 2: so much will depend on the speaker's judgment of the 25 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 2: quality of the debate because a member can only speak once, 26 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 2: but if an amendment has moved, a speaker can a 27 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 2: member can speak again. So it could go on for 28 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 2: a long time, but the debate must be of good 29 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 2: quality for the speaker to accept that the speaker has 30 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:35,839 Speaker 2: huge power in Parliament. 31 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: Well, I'm glad to hear that. I just wasn't seeing 32 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: it from him the other day, and I don't want 33 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: to get you in trouble for criticizing the speaker, but 34 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: he seems to have fallen short here at a moment 35 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: he could have owned it more, he didn't. Is that 36 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: fair or not? 37 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: Well? He made the point that it is important for 38 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 2: a speaker to take note of the of the needs 39 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 2: of the minority in Parliament and not just support automatically 40 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 2: a majority as speaker always if anything on the balance, 41 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 2: supported the opposition if you like, where there was a 42 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 2: judgment of balance, but where a debate falls into just 43 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 2: abuse and something that's not up to the stands of Parliament. 44 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 2: The Speaker can accept as a motion that the question 45 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 2: had been output and then the House votes on that, 46 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 2: and the majority will win that vote. And so the 47 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: Speaker's judgment here is critically important and I think it's 48 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: up to the Speaker to make sure of this debate 49 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 2: that will be watched by many people actually shows Parliament 50 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 2: to be better than had been in the last couple 51 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 2: of weeks. 52 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 1: Would you have closed the public gallery. 53 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 2: I think given the risks around this, it probably is 54 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 2: wise because if it'd got untidy, of course you'd have 55 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 2: to hold Parliament for a while while the gallery was cleared. 56 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 2: And so I suppose that it is why since everyone 57 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 2: can watch, as you just said, on television, that's so important. 58 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 2: And but this I think will be a test of 59 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: Speaker Brownley, because this is one where the Speaker's judgment 60 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,839 Speaker 2: is actually going to be critically important. People must see 61 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: him to be ruling in a fair manner. But you know, 62 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 2: Parliament shouldn't just degrade into a mess. And I've been 63 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 2: worried for some time that the standards in Parliament have 64 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 2: slipped hugely in the last few years. 65 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: Could not agree more. It's sort of a moment in 66 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: time in many respects, isn't it. Lockward appreciate your time 67 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: as always the Lockward Smith, former Speaker of the House 68 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: of course. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen 69 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: live to news talks it'd be from six am weekdays, 70 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.