Page 738 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 1990
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regarding members of this Assembly. What efforts have you made to ensure that your apology to the Assembly members is made public on ABC radio in the way that other defamatory comments are retracted? Do you intend to include your apologies in your Canberra Chronicle column?
MR SPEAKER: I intend to take no further action, Mrs Grassby.
Legislative Assembly Precincts
MR WOOD: I direct a question to you, Mr Speaker, reflecting my interest in the precincts of this Assembly and referring you directly to a reply you gave to Mr Berry's question on 22 February concerning those precincts. You stated you had consulted with appropriate officials to obtain a consensus view about those precincts. Can you tell the Assembly who those officials were? Secondly, why did you not see it as appropriate to discuss this matter with Assembly members, or at least party representatives or someone like me who had expressed an interest?
MR SPEAKER: I will answer that to the best of my ability. The discussions were held with the security people belonging to my staff, the Secretariat, police officers and security people from outside the Police Force but within the group that we employ. I believe that that is all that is necessary in the initial stages as we are developing our security system from those initial discussions and all members will certainly be advised of the permanent procedure that we will lay down in concurrence with the opinions of members of the Assembly.
MR WOOD: I ask a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. I am not quite convinced about simply being advised. In determining the precincts, and all the other matters related to that, there is the possibility of reshuffling of space which could include my own space, my party's space or anybody else's space, so can you give a commitment to talk to Assembly members about it?
MR SPEAKER: Mr Wood, I again find this incredible that you people - particularly you - are coming up with these ridiculous statements. I have come to you on numerous occasions seeking comments from you about a change of venue or any accommodation changes, and I have always found you receptive. I would expect better of you than this question. Other members of your party are rarely available to discuss these matters, even though I have tried. Yes, Mr Wood, I agree totally with your premise that all these matters should be discussed at length with members and my door is always open. I believe that some members of your party do not even know where that door is.
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