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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 4 Hansard (16 April) . . Page.. 937 ..

MR SPEAKER: So you have no document to table; is that correct?

MR WHITECROSS: No, that is right.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I realise that, if there is a document that is on the table from which Mr Whitecross is speaking, I am entitled to ask or even move that it be tabled. I realise that he is not speaking from a document that is tabled. Nonetheless, I ask him, as a matter of courtesy, to produce the sources of the figures he is now producing in this debate. Presumably, he has obtained them from somewhere. We would like to know where they come from. We ask him, therefore, to table the sources of those figures.

MR SPEAKER: Can that be done, Mr Whitecross?

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, this is an extremely frivolous interjection. I have already indicated that I was not quoting from a document. If Mr Humphries does not like the fact that the Howard Government wants to sack public servants, I suggest that he take it up with Mr Howard rather than quibbling with me.

MR SPEAKER: No; Mr Humphries reasonably raised, as a point of order, that if you are quoting figures you must have had some source for them, and he wanted you to table details of that source. I do not think that is an unreasonable request.

MR WHITECROSS: Can I seek a clarification from you, Mr Speaker, as to the standing order under which he is seeking that I table these? As far as I am concerned, he is just wasting the time of the Assembly.

MR SPEAKER: I do not think it is an unreasonable request at all.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, on the point of order: I do not see that it is your role to decide what is a reasonable request and what is not reasonable. All you have to do is abide by the standing orders.

MR SPEAKER: Very well. I am being asked by Mr Humphries - - -

Mr Berry: Whether he asked you or not, Mr Speaker, you only have to abide by the standing orders. Under what standing order does he make the request?

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, there is no requirement for every point of order one raises to be based on a standing order. I was simply making a request. It is not a request that needs to be based on any standing order. I am sure that Mr Whitecross is basing his comments on accurate figures, on accurate sources, and would be very happy to table those sources in this place. He does not have to do it now. He can do it later, if he likes.

MR SPEAKER: I will consider the standing orders on this matter. Continue, Mr Whitecross.

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