Inquiry aims to tame parliament’s question time circus

The conduct of parliament’s question time, including Dorothy Dixers and MPs’ behaviour, will be the subject of an inquiry.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison during question time in the House of Representatives. Picture: Kym Smith

The conduct of federal parliament’s question time — including Dorothy Dixers, the behaviour of MPs and arcane standing orders — will be the subject of an ­inquiry, amid warnings from across the political spectrum that it diminishes the reputation of politicians.

Coalition and Labor MPs on the parliament’s procedures committee will this week finalise the terms of an inquiry of how question time can be reformed, with submissions to be sought from the public.

Liberal National MP Ross Vasta and Labor MP Milton Dick, the chairman and deputy chairman of the committee, said the community was “fed up” with the spectacle of question time, which is the only part of parliament that is televised every sitting day. The inquiry will examine whether Dixers — prearranged questions from government backbenchers to ministers — should be axed.

It will also consider whether there should be stricter rules ­requiring ministers to be more relevant in answering questions, whether question time’s rules are too complicated, and whether the forum should include questions from the public.

“I believe, and I think most of the Australian public believe, that the format is wrong and there needs to be a change,” Mr Vasta said.

“We are going to review everything, even the point of relevance, because we want question time to not be a debate for lawyers and technicalities and rules.

“Standing orders have become overcomplicated and the free-flowing nature of question time and the information it can provide for the public has to be far more important than oppositions or governments trying to score cheap political points.”

Mr Dick singled out a question last week from Wentworth MP Dave Sharma — asking Scott Morrison to outline how the government was achieving its agenda — to declare Dixers had become a farce.

“This may be unpopular with my colleagues, but I think it is time we looked at Dorothy Dixers,” Mr Dick said. “Speaker Tony Smith is one of the best Speakers in our commonwealth’s history, but he can only use the tools that he is given.

“So let’s open the toolbox to see what we can do to improve the ­respectability of question time.

“The Australian people are sick and tired of the spectacle of question time. It is demonstrating probably the worst elements of politics in Australia.”

Leader of the house Christian Porter said the government would consider “any recommendations that come from the bipartisan committee process”.

The probe will build on submissions received by a less extensive inquiry into question time in 2015 that lapsed before the 2016 election without being completed. It did not seek public feedback.