Mr SPEAKER: During both question times this week members have sought to use Standing Order 368 to table documents that were readily available to members. Standing Order 368 is new. It provides that a member may table a document by leave. Previously, the tabling of documents was solely a matter of leave. The Standing Orders did not recognise the practice.

Questions have arisen about the application of Standing Order 368. It is the Speaker’s role to decide the application of a Standing Order whenever a question arises. The Speaker is guided by previous Speakers’ rulings and the practice of the House.

There are a number of rulings on the tabling of documents by leave. I refer members to the ruling of Speaker Tapsell, Speaker’s ruling 142/2, and to the guidance of the Standing Orders Committee, Speaker’s ruling 142/1. Both emphasise that the primary purpose of the procedure is to inform debate by making available to members documents that otherwise would not be available.

Members have not always taken these rulings into account when seeking leave. From the next sitting of the House, I intend to apply Standing Order 368 consistently with these rulings. It will no longer be in order to seek leave under Standing Order 368 to table documents of the following nature that are readily available to members: first, current documents that are part of the published proceedings of the House, such as replies to questions for written answer, parliamentary papers, select committee reports, submissions to committees where the e-committee system provides for them to be published on the Parliament website, Hansard, or the Standing Orders; second, Acts and bills before the House; and, third, recent media articles from the major daily newspapers and national weeklies or their websites, and from the major television and radio broadcasters or their websites.

Copies of this ruling will be made available to members in the Bills Office.

Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) : I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I seek a point of clarification. In listing those documents, you said you would not allow current documents in those classes to be filed. Are we to take it that, for example, leave could still be sought to table an old Hansard that is not readily available to people unless it is pointed out to them?

Mr SPEAKER: I thank the member for raising a perfectly fair point of order. The intention is that historic documents that are not readily available to members that may have significance and may be useful for members’ information can still be tabled. It is not the intention, at all, to prevent the tabling of those, or, likewise, media articles from overseas publications that would not be readily available to members but would be relevant to them. The point the member makes is perfectly fair.