Page 612 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 9 March 2011
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are the rules about the way in which members may engage with each other in this parliament, because it seems that at the moment there is a fairly low threshold for any sort of conversation on the opposition benches before you move to warn people.
You may not necessarily be in a position to do this now but I would like you to give some thoughtful consideration to what are the rules for conversation in this place and for exchanges in this place before people are being warned. I would also like for you, Mr Speaker, to reflect upon whether those are being applied equally across the chamber.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mrs Dunne. Firstly, my understanding was, my hearing of events was, that Mr Coe and Mr Seselja were interjecting across the chamber. I guess you may dispute that. I guess it is a fine line. If somebody is raising their voice to a level where I am sitting here and it sounds like an interjection, whether it is to Mr Seselja or across the chamber, is a bit of a moot point. If it is so loud that it feels like an interjection, then that is the judgement I guess I have to try and make as matters proceed.
Mrs Dunne: I would ask you, Mr Speaker, to go away and reflect upon what are the rules that you are going to apply, because at the moment it means—
MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, thank you. I see your point. We can go to standing order 202 (a) or (b), which refer to “persistently and wilfully obstructed the business of the Assembly” or “disorderly conduct”—either of those. Sufficiently loud contributions across the chamber or within the chamber may fall foul of either of those provisions. I think regularly in this chamber people who are sitting in the chair speak to both sides of the chamber to ask them to take their private conversations outside or to quieten them down. That is the end of the matter. Thank you.
Mr Coe: Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Coe.
Mr Coe: If I may add to this, a question—
MR SPEAKER: No, Mr Coe, it is not a debate.
Mr Coe: When do we discuss this?
MR SPEAKER: We have moved past, Mr Coe.
Mr Coe: When do we discuss this?
MR SPEAKER: Sit down, Mr Coe.
Paper
Ministerial travel report—erratum
MR STANHOPE (Ginninderra—Chief Minister, Minister for Transport, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Business and Economic Development,
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