Question Time: Five things we learned

Two days into the job, Speaker Tony Smith upsets Labor, while Clive Palmer finds himself out on a limb on entitlements.

1. Labor isn’t happy with the new Speaker

The new Speaker, Tony Smith, has now entrenched the time-honoured but once banished tradition of Government Ministers belting up the Opposition over its policies. There was a rule against MPs using Dorothy Dixers to Ministers which ended with “Opposition policies”. This allowed Ministers to rabbit on about the other side without talking about their own policies. Smith has now agreed that questions can include “threats to Government policy or alternative policies”. Labor doesn’t like it and has tried to head off the Speaker but the ruling now stands.

2. Just don’t bring up the subject of MPs entitlements

Clive Palmer’s attempt to raise the issue of MPs’ entitlements, particularly those involving family members, demonstrated the issue is a “no go zone” for everyone. The question was ruled out of order and no-one else took up the topic as MPs looked chastened and nervous after the last few weeks of frenzy over expenses.

.@TonyAbbottMHR & @LiberalAus are using the #marriageequality issue as a diversion from the travel expense debacle #auspoI

— Clive Palmer (@CliveFPalmer) August 12, 2015

3. Remember the GST

Tony Abbott can’t seem to remember the tax introduced when he was in the Howard Government — the GST. In response to Labor questions on the GST, the Prime Minister could only bring himself to mention “that tax” several times, despite Labor’s Chris Bowen helpfully spelling it out.

4. First-time speaker still has nerves

The new Speaker was somewhat embarrassed when he accidentally slid over the moment where he was meant to ask MPs to stand for a minute’s silence in remembrance of the late one-eyed Liberal Alby Schultz, who died in the recess. It was rectified at the end of Question Time.

5. Who will be the first MP ejected?

With every passing day, Labor’s testing of the new Speaker gets them closer to the first MP being thrown out, as the noise level and smart alec interjections start to seriously disrupt Ministers’ replies.