Page 1263 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 23 March 2010
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Mr Hanson: Mr Speaker, on a point of order—
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson.
Mr Hanson: We know Ms Hunter does not like being in here—she would rather watch it on TV—but I do not think that her disappointment that we are—
MR SPEAKER: What is your point of order, Mr Hanson?
Mr Hanson: We are debating an important matter here and I do not think that her rambling on about it being disappointing that we are here so long talking about this important issue is relevant to the debate.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Hunter.
MS HUNTER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. We have heard a number of speakers on the opposition benches talking about millions of taxpayers’ dollars and the importance of scrutinising that. I agree that we do need to scrutinise the expenditure of money in the territory. I also think that we all need to reflect a little bit on the amount of taxpayers’ dollars that have been spent on these longwinded battles that seem to be going on which are doing nothing to further better outcomes for the people of the territory. I would also like to pick up on Mrs Dunne’s points—
Mr Hanson: Mr Speaker—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Stop the clocks. Wait, Mr Hanson. Ms Hunter, resume your seat for a moment. Mr Hanson, I expect you to have a point of order.
Mr Hanson: Certainly. It is about relevance. I thought you had ruled that she should get to the point of the debate, which is not about “I don’t like the time-wasting; I don’t like the fact that we’re debating this today”. That is not relevant to the motion before the Assembly, which is one of dissent from your ruling. Her view, “I don’t like this, it seems to waste time,” if she has got something better to do, is not relevant to the debate, Mr Speaker. I thought you had ruled on that already.
MR SPEAKER: Finding the relevance in this debate has been challenging. Ms Hunter, if you can focus on the dissent motion.
MS HUNTER: Certainly, Mr Speaker. I will wrap up by saying that it is quite clear that there is not a minister that says on their letterhead, “Minister in charge of the ALP-Greens parliamentary agreement.” This really does come to the heart of the matter today about this question. I think that the Speaker has addressed that quite clearly and there have been some speakers who have addressed that quite clearly today in the debate. It is unfortunate that every time I have got up to speak I have had Mr Hanson jumping up to interject. Yet Mr Hanson was very happy to carry on and to wander way outside and away from the point of what this motion is about. He was also making some, I think, outrageous attacks on the office of the Speaker.
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