David Norris (Independent)

I beg the pardon of the House. I see it is listed as statements rather than Private Members' business. Nonetheless, I congratulate the Labour Party on that.

I do not congratulate anybody on the fact a strange lack of courtesy is creeping into this House. For the first time, the Leader and Deputy Leader are refusing to answer questions if Members are not in the House. This is a gross impertinence. Members often have to leave to attend committees and to take urgent messages. I have always tried to apologise if I had to leave to attend a committee and the answer should be on the record. It is a sign of the growing arrogance of this Government.

Where did this document I am holding come from, can anybody tell me? It is clearly a Government publication, although it is anonymous. It is in defence of the so-called stability treaty and some 60 copies were given to every Member of this House. Who is paying for it? How dare they do this? As an ordinary Member, I am not allowed to circulate material in this manner. This is the kind of arrogant Government we are getting now. I prefer this kind of focused concentration rather than the kind of scatter-gun approach of Senator Leyden but, in essence, he is right - it is arrogant.

I would like to know whether we can have access to the minutes of the meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges where it was decided, in defiance of tradition, that on Second Stage we could not share time. Who proposed that? Whose idea was it?