Why do members of parliament address the Speaker and not the questioner during Question Time?
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is a member of the House of Representatives who is chosen as the Presiding Officer. This means that as well as representing their electorate, the Speaker is responsible for running—presiding over—the meetings of the House.
The Speaker runs the meetings of the House much like a chairperson would. The Speaker makes sure the rules of the House – the Standing Orders – are obeyed, so the meeting can run in an ordered way. For instance, standing order 65(a) states that 'A member wishing to speak shall rise and, when recognised by the Speaker, address the Speaker.' This means members must address their remarks through the Speaker at all times, which shows respect for the role of the Speaker in running parliamentary proceedings.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Penny Bradfield/DPS Auspic
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Penny Bradfield/DPS Auspic
Description
A man in a suit sits in a large green chair in front of a carved wooden screen. Three people in black robes and wearing face masks sit at a table below him. On the other side of a clear scressn there are books and boxes. A man in a suit stands at the table, resting his hand on one of the boxes.
Permission should be sought from DPS AUSPIC for third-party or commercial uses of this image. To contact DPS AUSPIC email: auspic@aph.gov.au or phone: 02 6277 3342.