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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (22 February) . . Page.. 160 ..

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I am raising a point of order. Would you resume your seat, Mr Berry? It is the courteous thing to do. Thank you.

MR BERRY: Thank you. It was a mere oversight, Mr Speaker.

Mr Humphries: To assert that the Speaker is biased or receives instructions from a member on the floor - - -

MR BERRY: No, no.

Mr Humphries: That is directly what you said, Mr Berry. You said that Mrs Carnell gave a signal and then Mr Cornwell cleared the chamber. Mr Speaker, Mr Berry quite clearly said that. I think that is unfair to you. It is making an issue of yesterday's proceedings, which Ms McRae a moment ago claimed that she was not doing. If they are going to make an issue of that, let us have a debate about what happened yesterday; but I think, with respect, that that is most unfair to you and it should be withdrawn.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, I am not in a position to comment or to defend myself in this circumstance, and I would ask you to withdraw any imputation on the speakership.

MR BERRY: There was none, Mr Speaker. Mr Humphries is a crafty wordsmith and - - -

MR SPEAKER: Would you please withdraw?

MR BERRY: There was none to withdraw. If you took it that there - - -

MR SPEAKER: I did.

MR BERRY: If you take it that there was one, I am happy to withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR BERRY: Mr Humphries is a crafty wordsmith. What he did not tell you was that I made it clear, in the course of that discussion, that I do not know whether you made your decision on the basis of that or not.

Mr Humphries: Yes, but you implied that he did.

MR SPEAKER: You have withdrawn, Mr Berry. Continue.

MR BERRY: Mr Humphries says that I implied it. I had no intention of implying it. What I did say was that the ordinary member of the public sitting in the gallery there and watching Mrs Carnell trying to urge the Speaker could draw the conclusion that something was not quite right.

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