Page 1241 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989
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MR SPEAKER: Mr Kaine, I will take advice on this matter. However, I believe that, as it is now open to all members to suspend standing orders, I would see, at first glance, that members of the opposition do have a chance to respond if the Chief Minister uses so-called dorothy dixers. I will take advice and advise you further.
DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER - ADMONISHMENT
MR JENSEN (3.12): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move, without notice, a motion of censure of the Deputy Chief Minister.
Leave granted.
MR JENSEN: I move:
That this Assembly censures the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Whalan, for -
(1) his unwarranted personal attack on another member of the Assembly;
(2) for misleading the Assembly in his personal explanation on 22 August 1989 when he accused Mr Jensen of making an outrageous and mendacious allegation in relation to a matter which the Deputy Chief Minister knew or ought to have known was properly raised by the member; and
(3) for being unable to discharge his ministerial obligations.
Mr Speaker, I do not propose to speak at any great length on this particular issue. I just wish to make a number of points in relation to the matter that I have raised in my motion. This motion is brought on today by me because of what I suggest was an outrageous attack by Mr Whalan on me and, by implication, on an upright and hard-working community member. I have taken this action only because Mr Whalan has failed to take the opportunity that he has been given today to correct the answer he gave to the house on behalf of the Chief Minister during his personal explanation.
Mr Speaker, I refer to the statement made by the Chief Minister today - I have yet to see a copy of it, but I would like to at some stage - in relation to her answer. I do not accept that particular answer in relation to the motion that I have put before the house. It would seem, Mr Speaker, that that answer in no way excuses the attack by Mr Whalan on me yesterday. In fact, I would have thought it appropriate, in view of the answer that was given by the Chief Minister, in which it was clear that there was some misunderstanding between the various elements within the two departments in question - the Territory Planning
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