Page 756 - Week 02 - Thursday, 10 March 2011
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From time to time when I bring this matter to your attention or other members of the opposition bring these matters to your attention, there is a bit of a buck-up. You did actually chip the Chief Minister today for using unparliamentary language. It was the second time this week he had used the same unparliamentary language. I had already asked him to withdraw those same words earlier in the week. But there is never a warning. There is never a warning for the members on the other side. And you run to warnings at the first opportunity.
And you yourself, when you are not in the chair, behave in a way which is not becoming. The words that you used earlier this week in relation to Mr Smyth—which you only begrudgingly withdrew when you were forced to do so, when it was embarrassing because you would have a conflict of interest in having to review your own words and asking yourself to withdraw your words—show that you are partisan and you do not treat the position of Speaker appropriately.
The Liberal opposition now put it forward fair and square. We no longer have confidence in your rulings. We believe that you make partisan rulings in relation to the Canberra Liberals and that it is now time to call an end to it. That is why I am today moving dissent in your ruling. It is not something we do lightly. There has been a lot of latitude given to someone who is a new Speaker, a new member who is inexperienced with the standing orders and had himself thrust into the position of speakership. It is not something that, as a longstanding member and a longstanding manager of opposition business, I do lightly.
Over the past two years, I have spent a fair amount of time in discussion with you about the management of this house and the things that I think are inappropriate. I have drawn them to your attention. Sometimes they are taken up; sometimes they are not. But I think that the treatment meted out to the members of the opposition this week is unacceptable. I think that I may be the only person who has not been warned this week.
Mr Stanhope: Well, there is plenty of time left.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Stanhope!
MRS DUNNE: It goes to show how little regard the Labor Party has for the seriousness of what is happening that Mr Stanhope would joke about these things.
Mr Stanhope: Well, what a load of nonsense.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Stanhope, don’t interject.
MRS DUNNE: This is, unfortunately, something that is extraordinarily serious. When we move dissent in your ruling, we are saying that we no longer have confidence in the Speaker. That is something that you have brought us to by continued and repetitive partisan behaviour in the chair and elsewhere.
The thing is that you have conflicted the role of being the Speaker of this place with that of being a political member of this place. You vacate the chair and you come
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