The Order of Business for today is item No. 3 — Statements regarding Agriculture. It is proposed that we have 15 minutes per speaker, a sos between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., and the statements to conclude at or before 4 p.m.
Order of Business.
May I thank the Leader of the House for being so speedy in granting this short debate this morning. It is a good example of the House being able to respond to a major event. May I also thank the Leader for his constructive approach to other matters last evening?
May I join in the thanks to the Leader of the House for showing flexibility on this matter. It is a very welcome step.
The Leader of the House is not only an optimist, as he showed yesterday in his aspirations on the Appropriation Bill, he is also a very helpful Leader as he has shown this morning and I would like to put the gratitude of our group on the record.
I understood that principal speakers on a motion would have a little more time than other speakers. Is it 15 minutes for every speaker?
It is 15 minutes per speaker. Certainly the leader of each group can have 20 minutes or half an hour if necessary.
I would like to welcome the helpful attitude of the Leader of the House in allowing this very brief period for statements. I wish it were a little longer, even ten minutes, but I am not in a position to argue and we must be grateful for what we have got. However, I would like to make one point with reference to that. We, the Independents, have some difficulty because, despite newspaper reports, we actually do not have a leader, we are a coalition of equals. I would like that to be understood by the officials of the House and by the media. I understand that one newspaper, at least, referred yesterday to the leader of the Independents. This is a position which I am sure my colleague, Senator O'Toole, would find invidious and embarrassing in the extreme.
Senator Norris, your internal confusion and difficulty cannot be a matter for the Order of Business.
Thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I would not attempt to make it so. The confusion is entirely external.
Between now and next week you may be able to sort something out among yourselves. Senator Fallon, to reply on the Order of Business.
My point was made on the Order of Business. Neither Senator Manning nor Senator Norris made a point. I hope the Independents will not be leaderless for too long.
Could you clarify for the House the time allowed for the leaders of each group?
Not exceeding half an hour for the first speaker of each group.
Order of Business agreed to.