Page 3659 - Week 08 - Thursday, 19 August 2010

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MS GALLAGHER: No. The answer, as I provided earlier, was that I was alerted to workload pressures in November last year. I responded immediately. Prior to increased budget appropriation, I required the hospital to advertise for extra doctors for that unit. That started in November. Indeed, when you look back at what has occurred, it started off the subsequent events that have occurred since then. It is the recruiting that I put in place in November last year that resulted in the doctors writing to me in around November last year about their hope to work at the Canberra Hospital. It was me responding to workload pressures that started this thing off.

Mr Seselja: So you fixed it.

MS GALLAGHER: I did.

Mr Stanhope: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.

Supplementary questions to questions without notice

MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (3.13): Mr Speaker, I seek your guidance. Mrs Dunne during question time asked whether it was appropriate for—

MR SPEAKER: This is today?

MR SMYTH: Mrs Dunne asked whether it was appropriate for Mr Hargreaves to ask spurious supplementary questions as a way of diverting and deflecting the attack. My recollection, and perhaps we could all check the Hansard, is that you said that it had not occurred that often. I note that it has happened three times in the last three sitting weeks, so it is continuous. On 23 June you ruled a supplementary out of order, on 29 June you ruled a supplementary out of order and you did so again today. And they are only the ones I have been able to find. I would ask your guidance as to what the tolerance of the chair is and how many times a question has to be ruled out of order before one gets warned for such behaviour.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Smyth, for the question. As you might appreciate, there is no objective test on this. It is clearly a question of judgement. I think your research has indicated it is perhaps more frequent than my memory recalls. I suspect the winter recess has contributed to my sense that it has been a while but I appreciate your bringing the matter to my attention.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body

Paper and statement by minister

MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Minister for Transport, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Business and Economic Development, Minister for Land and Property Services, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister for the Arts and Heritage) (3.14): Mr Speaker, for the information of members I present the following paper:

Government response to a report on the outcomes of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body Estimates Hearing 2008-09 which was presented to the Assembly on 25 February 2010.


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