Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (22 February) . . Page.. 156 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

They could get the Assembly to close down simply by coming in and heckling a little. We have to balance that against a situation where emotions are running high and people feel particularly intensely about an issue, as indeed is the situation in terms of the industrial strike at the moment. I can understand why it is that people are inclined to heckle.

Mr Speaker, I will support the motion. I do not want to comment on the action you took yesterday. Rather, I want to ensure that the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedure has the opportunity to discuss possible strategies for dealing with such situations in the future.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (10.46): Mr Speaker, I rise to indicate that the Government will not oppose this motion. I also think it is most important that I put on record very clearly that in my view you, as Speaker, acted entirely appropriately yesterday in dealing with the situation you found yourself in. On occasions the step that you took yesterday has been necessary. In my memory, this is not the first time that this has occurred in the life of this Assembly.

Ms McRae: Hector was punching somebody out, for heaven's sake. It is completely different.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, Ms McRae obviously is moving this motion in the context of having a go at you for yesterday's events, and that is why I put on - - -

Ms McRae: You said that, not me.

MR HUMPHRIES: No, it is clear from what you said before and what you are saying now that that is the case. The unfortunate thing about referring things to committees in this place is that we all tend to lock ourselves into positions before the motion is put to a committee and the issue is debated on the floor of the committee, so we end up with a position already determined. For my part, I think it is always important to have a discretion on the part of the chair of a committee or the Assembly as a whole to be able to deal with a problem from that position as manager of the meeting, so to speak.

To the extent that this has come forward the day after this event, constituting some kind of casting of aspersions on the handling of the matter, I think that is quite wrong. I think it is most important, and it will always be the case, that the Speaker exercise judgment about, and take decisions about, the management of both the chamber and things occurring in the galleries. If this inquiry by the Administration and Procedure Committee can help to assist in that process, that is fine. I am not particularly sure that there is a great deal of value in having the committee confirm that there is ultimately only one person who is responsible for these decisions, and that is you, the Speaker. However, if members feel that there is some better way of preparing guidelines to assist other members, or members of the gallery, to understand respective obligations and rights in these situations, then perhaps there is some value in the inquiry. I sincerely hope, however, that it does not become an exercise in bashing Speakers who act in the interests of defending the capacity of this place to do its work.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .