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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 5 Hansard (11 May) . . Page.. 1529 ..

Mr Berry: I think Mr Stanhope was about to do so.

Mr Stanhope: This has gone on long enough, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: It certainly has.

Mr Stanhope: I do not think any of us are interested in spending our time here worrying about Mr Humphries' wounded sensibilities. I seek leave, Mr Speaker, to move that the Assembly adjourn.

Mr Humphries: You do not have the power to move that the Assembly adjourn.

Mr Berry: He has just sought leave.

Mr Corbell: With leave, he does.

MR SPEAKER: Is leave granted?

Mr Humphries: To do what?

Mr Stanhope: To move that the house adjourn.

Mr Humphries: No, leave is not granted, I'm sorry. Leave is not granted.

MR BERRY (5.59 pm): I move:

Mr Speaker, the arguments are clear here. You have said that you want to go away and have a look at that. Mr Humphries has got injured senses. Do not forget that Mr Humphries also moved that the debate on the issue about which we are concerned at the moment be adjourned. He did not want to proceed with the debate.

Mr Speaker, I have more important things to do with my time than to worry about how bruised Mr Humphries might feel about something that is written in a formal Assembly report in this place which is a matter of debate before this house. I therefore have moved that standing orders be suspended in order that we can just go home and get on with whatever we do in the rest of our lives rather than get involved in a domestic dispute with Mr Humphries.

MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety) (6.00): On the question of the suspension of standing orders, Mr Speaker, I have raised a matter of serious concern. It is not a question of my sensibilities. It is a question of words which, on any reasonable construction, are words which seriously offend against the standing orders. If we adjourn, that has the effect of allowing these words to stay on the record for the next 10 days, and to be used in the next 10 days as they were this morning. That is entirely inappropriate and should not be allowed to happen.

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