Page 1454 - Week 05 - Thursday, 13 May 2021
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Mr Rattenbury: Madam Speaker, for the point to be made, there has to be some proof of affiliation between the Burns Club and Labor. I am certainly not aware of any such affiliation.
MADAM SPEAKER: Working back a little bit, in the reference to the word “mate”, it is about context. The Deputy Chief Minister did refer to Mr Milligan as “old mate”. That caused some mirth and humour at the time, as I understand. On reflection, with the connection and the use of “mate”; the question was loaded and it does imply that there is—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, you have had two warnings in the last two weeks of sittings. I might just jump to naming you next time. There is a tone of imputation to say that there is a wrongness in the connection with the Burns Club. There is no connection between the Burns Club and the Labor Party, as I understand it. I will allow the supplementary question that is due, but whoever is asking it should be very mindful of the language that is used.
MR HANSON: Minister, can you outline what connections the Burns Club has to the Labor Party, including past and present board members, and how you are dealing with this actual or perceived conflict of interest involving you and other Labor members?
MADAM SPEAKER: Did we not just highlight—
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, he is the minister for planning and there is a development application which involves an organisation which has board members who are active Labor Party members, as I understand it, and who are the close associates of the planning minister. I think that creates, at the very least, a perceived conflict of interest, and I have asked the minister to explain how he can—
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, there is no point of order. The planning authority is independent of the minister. We could have everybody in this place know everyone in town, and we could not answer a question or do anything.
Mr Hanson: Are you ruling the question out of order? Could I confirm under what standing order that has been ruled out of order?
MADAM SPEAKER: I am going back to what I originally said: there is no connection that the minister is responsible for between the Burns Club and the Labor Party.
Mr Hanson: If you are ruling the question out of order, Madam Speaker, it is up to the minister to decide, and up to the minister to explain in his answer, if there is no connection between the Burns Club and the Labor Party. That is for the minister to explain; otherwise will you explain under what standing order you are ruling this out of order?
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