Mr BURKE (Watson—Manager of Opposition Business) (14:28): My question is under standing order 99. My question is to the member for Bowman as chair of the Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training. I refer to the committee's current inquiry into the future labour force. As part of this inquiry and noting paragraph (6) of the inquiry's terms of reference allowing it to examine other related matters, will the committee hold public hearings into the impact of the decision to cut penalty rates on the future labour force? The SPEAKER: The Leader of the House on a point of order? Mr Pyne: Mr Speaker, the precedents with respect to these matters are very clear. Questions to backbenchers as chairmen of committees are very narrow and very strict and have almost always been ruled out by the Speaker. I would ask you to rule out this question on this occasion. The SPEAKER: I will hear from the Manager of Opposition Business. Mr Burke: Thanks, Mr Speaker. The Leader of the House has forgotten a question that his side asked the member for Holt in a previous parliament. Mr Rob Mitchell interjecting— The SPEAKER: The member for McEwen is warned! Members on both sides are expecting me to listen to both the Manager of Opposition Business and the Leader of the House. It is not an everyday question. I would like to listen to them both, if that is okay. Mr Burke: Mr Speaker, the question refers specifically and only to the work of the committee and a current inquiry, referring specifically to the terms of reference of that inquiry. Every requirement under standing order 99 has been kept to. I deliberately have not gone to his Sky News interview today. It would have been a better question, but it would not have been in order. The SPEAKER: I will hear from the Leader of the House again. Mr Pyne: Mr Speaker, questions to anyone in this House, and obviously to ministers, usually need to be within their powers, and the member for Bowman cannot answer a question about whether the committee will hold public hearings into the penalty rates decision because that is a decision for the committee, not for the chairman. The SPEAKER: I will hear again from the Manager of Opposition Business. I am listening. Mr Burke: Mr Speaker, standing order 99 specifically says you can ask a question to a member who is not a minister— Mr Hunt interjecting— The SPEAKER: The Minister for Health and Minister for Sport is warned. Mr Burke: but it 'must relate to a bill, motion, or other business of the House or of a committee, for which the Member asked is responsible'. If the chair of a committee is not responsible for the committee, it is a really strange committee. The SPEAKER: I am ready to rule on the matter. I have obviously surveyed this ground before, although not in question time. Certainly, chairs of committee can be asked questions strictly about the process of their committee. The Leader of the House raises the point in the question from the Manager of Opposition Business about whether the committee will hold hearings or not. I think that does go to the process of the committee. What the decision-making for that is is a matter, frankly, for the member answering. I am going to allow the question. The member for Bowman, and he needs to confine himself just to the process as chair of the committee.