Page 602 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 April 1994
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MR HUMPHRIES (6.38), in reply: Madam Speaker, to support my motion, Mr Berry made a very long statement in the house this afternoon - 70 minutes' worth, 19 printed pages, and probably as much again in other statement and comments before the Assembly. He has tabled about a dozen documents. He has alleged and asserted a number of things which he did not have the courtesy to tell us before. In contrast, Madam Speaker, I point out that the vast majority of the things that have been put before the house today by us have been on the public record before now. I think, in the circumstances, it would be very much in the Government's interest to have us press on quickly to a vote on this matter, with as many unanswered questions as possible, hoping thereby to result in Mr Berry escaping the effect of this motion. The fact is, Madam Speaker, that this is a serious motion and it therefore deserves the proper time for all members to digest the material that has been put before them.
Members on my side of the chamber will not be lobbying, but we are certainly going to be discussing, with anybody who wishes to discuss it, the information that has been put before us by the Government today. I am sure, Madam Speaker, that members on that side of the chamber will not be confining themselves in their rooms. They also will want to talk to a few other people in this chamber, other than those on the Opposition and Government benches. I am sure that they will not be standing behind their desks, twiddling their thumbs or eating a pizza. Madam Speaker, we need the time to digest this material. I suggest that it is in the interests of the whole Assembly that we proceed immediately to deal with something like this in a proper fashion, which means having the time to consider it properly.
MADAM SPEAKER: The motion before us is that we suspend so much of the standing and temporary orders as would prevent Mr Humphries from moving to suspend the proceedings until 8 o'clock this evening.
Mr Berry: Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. I thought that standing orders had been suspended already.
MADAM SPEAKER: Yes, that is right, Mr Berry. That is exactly the point I was making to my Clerk, when I was not listening to the debate. The standing orders that have been suspended relate to any other business that would get in the way of consideration of the motion that was put before us, and the time limits in relation to that debate. We have to suspend standing orders to enable a member other than you or I to suspend the sitting of the Assembly. That was the heated discussion that I was involved in up here.
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