2nd Dec 2015, 3:06 PM – Representatives Motions — Special Minister of State; Attempted Censure — That the member be no longer heard

The majority voted for a motion introduced by Leader of the House and Sturt MP Christopher Pyne, which means it passed. The motion was to stop the Isaacs MP Mark Dreyfus from speaking about his motion to censure the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

A censure is extreme disapproval in a member (typically a minister), or the entire government, generally calling for the member to resign if it passes.

Motion Text

Mr Pyne (Sturt MP, Liberal Party, Leader of the House):

That the member be no longer heard

Context

The motion was to stop Mark Dreyfus from speaking. Mr Dreyfus had just moved his own motion, and was beginning to explain it when Mr Pyne moved this motion to silence him. Mr Dreyfus was saying:

I move: That so much of the standing and sessional orders be suspended as would prevent the member for Isaacs from moving the following motion forthwith—That the House:

(1) notes:

(a) the Special Minister of State has admitted on 60 Minutes that he procured a Commonwealth officer to obtain unauthorised copies of the former Speaker's diary;

(b) the Special Minister of State has repeatedly misled the parliament and breached the Prime Minister's statement of ministerial standards; and

(c) the Special Minister of State still has questions to answer about his role in the Ashby affair;

(2) censures the Prime Minister:

(a) for leading a government in which ministers are permitted to breach the Prime Minister's own statement of ministerial standards by misleading the parliament without any repercussions or sanctions;

(b) for awarding the member for Fisher with a job on the front bench for his role as a key henchman in the overthrow of the former Prime Minister;

(c) for his atrocious judgement in appointing the member for Fisher as the minister with responsibility for government integrity; and

(d) for his complete and utter failure to show any leadership and sack the Special Minister of State.

I said yesterday that it was past time for this Special Minister of State to go. It has been time for him to go for days now. It is not clear why this Prime Minister has not put an end to this state of affairs yet. Perhaps he has had his hands full explaining to the world why he is pressing on with the— [cut off]