Lord’s Prayer
Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (12:23): (402) My question today is for the Leader of the Government. For over 100 years the Lord’s Prayer has marked the commencement of the sitting of Parliament. It signifies the commitment we as members of Parliament have made to serve King and country. Due to recent media speculation, is the Allan Labor government considering removing this long-honoured tradition?
Members interjecting.
The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has had similar questions as well, so I will call the Leader of the Government.
Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:23): I thank Mrs Tyrrell for her question, but what I would have to clarify in the first instance is that it is not a government matter, it is a Parliament matter, so any change to practices would be done with the agreement of the chamber. There is a view held by people from this chamber, which is exercised obviously by people that do not attend the very start of the day, that they have a desire to see it change. I have an unmet commitment to address this. It is something that I would like to have further conversations with parties within the chamber on. I have got to say I have had some other priorities that have taken my attention, but it is something that remains a matter that I would like, as leader and as a member of the chamber, to have conversations about. But to characterise it as an Allan Labor government commitment is not something that we would do, because particularly in this place we do everything by consensus.