Sweeping behavioural standards have now been in place in Australia’s parliament for years but crossbench MPs have warned question time is still rife with bullying and a “mob mentality” that needs to be stamped out.
Data obtained through the speaker’s office shows 21 MPs from across the Coalition and Labor have been booted out of question time 31 times, under standing order 94a during the first six months of the 48th parliament.
Those tied for first on three ejections each include the shadow treasurer, Ted O’Brien, the shadow energy minister, Dan Tehan, and the shadow attorney general, Andrew Wallace.
Tehan said the government rarely answered questions – in particular on a 2022 election promise to cut power bills by $275, and he challenged crossbenchers to do “more to hold them to account”. A spokesperson for O’Brien said he took his responsibilities seriously and would continue to “hold this bad government to account”.
Wallace said it was no surprise that energy, law and economy shadow ministers were leading the tally, adding he would not sit quietly while “this hopeless Labor government destroys Australians’ standard of living, their energy affordability and their safety and security”.
“They can throw me out of question time every day, but I will continue to fight for my community and the Australian public every singe day that I’m given the honour of serving them,” he said.
Under the order, a member is directed by the speaker to leave the chamber for one hour for “disorderly” behaviour – a direction that can’t be ignored or argued without attracting a longer suspension.
But Zali Steggall, a crossbench MP, said it wasn’t always obvious who the culprits were and, in some cases, it could be a whole section of a political party.
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In 2024 Steggall was embroiled in a heated incident with the then opposition leader, Peter Dutton, whom she told in parliament to “stop being racist” before withdrawing the comment, as he interjected over her speech against a motion to suspend the standing orders while discussing visas for people fleeing Gaza.
Steggall said the opposition’s “barrage of yelling and interjections” were akin to a “mob mentality” and “were clearly trying to harass and intimidate me and trying to bully me into silence”.
“It’s disrespectful and gives no regards to the safety of others in the chamber,” she said. “In any other workplace, that would be considered unlawful conduct.
“That mob mentality, at times we see it from the [Albanese] government as well. You see the Labor backbenchers heckling and mob-yelling at other members.”
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, has previously defended question time unruliness as “passion”.
Steggall, who is serving her third term as the independent member for Warringah, said she wanted to see the speaker given more power to banish MPs for “intimidating, harassing or bullying behaviour”. She suggested the standing orders could also be amended to hold party leaders to account for backbench unruliness, or even expel a whole party for a time.
“Parliamentarians need to lead by example,” she said. “Freedom of speech should be encouraged in our workplace but it can’t be used to excuse harmful behaviour and disorderly conduct.”
The house speaker, Milton Dick, said he would like to see fewer people leaving the chamber due to disorderly conduct.
“But ultimately, if people are obstructing others to have their say, that’s when I will invoke that standing order,” Dick said.
“I think every person in that chamber deserves their voice to be heard, because ultimately, they’re representing around 120,000 voices.”
The number of 94a ejections has varied over recent parliaments but some are quick to point out it has depended on the patience, or impartiality, of a speaker.
The data between the 43rd parliament, which commenced in 2010, and the 48th parliament shows a clear trend – whoever is in opposition is the most likely to have the most members booted out.
Steggall’s crossbench colleague, Kate Chaney, said question time, in particular, was the “public face” of parliament.
“It’s great that we finally have a code of conduct like every other workplace in Australia, but it won’t build trust in politicians if it doesn’t apply when the public is watching,” Chaney said.
“Treating each other with ‘dignity, courtesy, fairness and respect’ wouldn’t prevent robust debate.”
Federal parliament adopted a workplace behaviour code of conduct in 2023 that is enforced, through sanctions, by an independent watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission. Behaviour within the chamber is not subject to the changes.
Elizabeth Watson-Brown, a Greens MP, said question time was a “huge waste of time”, singling out Dorothy Dixers – softball questions from government backbenchers to the ministry – as a particular bugbear.
“Politicians are paid large salaries and it seems a complete misuse of taxpayer’s money for them to spend hours and hours listening to Dorothy Dixers, which are the government just congratulating itself,” she said.
“I’d absolutely support meaningful reform to question time to transform it into a true question and answer session to actually hold the government to account.”
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