Page 5265 - Week 12 - Thursday, 28 October 2010

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why we do or do not believe that the nominated candidates can acquit the task so that the community can or cannot have confidence in the decision made.

I will note that Mr Seselja has finally let the Assembly know what the Canberra Liberals’ objections are around this matter. I find it interesting. Mr Seselja has rightly raised today that he did not want this matter played out in the chamber—that it was about people, Mr Volker and Mr Hull, and he did not want that necessarily played out publicly. I can recall that, several months ago, the Chief Minister approached both Mr Seselja and me with the nominations, Mr Volker and Mr Hull, and wanted some idea around what our thoughts were. That was the point at which issues could have been raised. The next I heard was that the problem appeared to be that the Canberra Liberals were asking for the full list of names.

This has gone on for several months, which did lead me to write to the Chief Minister about my concern about the number of exemptions that were coming through when the Greens are very supportive of this legislation. We believe that there does need to be some independent reviewer ensuring that taxpayers’ dollars—

Mr Seselja: A doormat, Meredith—a doormat.

MS HUNTER: are not being spent on what could be seen as party political advertising. I find it interesting that issues were not raised at that time that would have avoided—

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Ms Hunter, excuse me. Mr Rattenbury—a point of order, is it?

Mr Rattenbury: Yes, Mr Assistant Speaker. I believe that Mr Seselja just described Ms Hunter as a doormat. I invite him to withdraw what would be, by his standards, unparliamentary language normally.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, there is an invitation to you.

Mr Seselja: Mr Assistant Speaker, if it is deemed by you now to be one of the new words that is unparliamentary, I will withdraw it.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I do not think that the withdrawal should be accompanied by a qualification, Mr Seselja.

Mr Seselja: I am asking.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Please either do it or don’t.

Mr Seselja: If I am asked to, I will.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I am asking you to withdraw it.

Mr Seselja: Just to clarify, Mr Assistant Speaker, are you saying that the term “doormat” is unparliamentary?


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