Parliament House roof springs leak during Question Time

THE billion-dollar federal Parliament building has sprung a leak — literally — with rain water pouring onto the chamber floor during Question Time.

Towels soak up a leak in the roof during Question Time in the House of Representatives in Canberra today.

LEAKS are the bane of a Government’s life but this afternoon Parliament suffered from a spate of leaks.

But they were real leaks — rain water pouring into the chamber during Question Time.

During a huge storm that hit Canberra after the 2pm Question Time began rain started to drop on to the chamber floor just in front of the Labor second XI front bench and next to the Hansard reporters.

Speaker Bronwyn Bishop identified the problem and Agriculture Minister, Barnaby Joyce, said that when he hoped for rain in an earlier answer he had not expected it to be granted so soon and in the chamber.