A matter of public importance (MPI) is a term used in the Australian Parliament where a subject is put forward for debate by the parliament.
This must be supported by a certain number of Senators or Members before the discussion can begin.
[1] MPI's are often used by opposition parties to draw attention to government failures or areas that are politically sensitive for the government.
[citation needed] In 2007, the conservative Liberal-National coalition government signalled controversial changes the MPI procedure, formalizing speaking times and reducing the amount of time that independents have to speak.
[citation needed] A single Senator is limited to 10 minutes discussion.