Page 1325 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 5 April 2011
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Mrs Dunne: On a point of order—
MR SPEAKER: Stop the clock.
Mrs Dunne: The standing orders require the minister to answer the questions directly. This is a direct question about opioid pharmacotherapy and the minister is not answering the question. She is sort of saying, “I am going to do something on Thursday and, until then, it is not convenient.” That is not how the standing orders in relation to question time apply.
Mr Corbell: There is no point of order. The minister is directly addressing the issues that were raised in the question. It is entirely in order for the minister to outline the context in which she can or cannot provide information and the reasons for that. But in no way is she, therefore, straying from the subject matter of the question, and there is no point of order.
Mr Smyth: To the point of order, standing order 118(a) says that the answer shall be concise and directly relevant. The minister knows better than this because he ran foul of this in various estimates programs where he had information, he knew the answer and he refused to release it to the Assembly. Indeed, it ended up with the privileges committee. The minister, under the standing orders endorsed by this place, must be directly relevant and concise in her answer. The question was very simple: “Why is there a lack of support for individuals wanting to get off the opioids?”
MR SPEAKER: At this point I think there is no point of order. The minister is asserting that she does not have a final copy of the report. I am not in a position to judge that but that is the minister’s answer. On the point of order, Mr Smyth.
Mr Smyth: As a clarification, yes. The minister actually said she will be releasing it tomorrow or later in the week and, therefore, we will get our answers then. That has not been the form of this place. There was an estimates committee where Minister Corbell had details and refused to release them to the committee. He said, “I will release them in my own good time.”
Mr Corbell: That is irrelevant.
Mr Smyth: It is entirely relevant. If you are asked a question over which you have control and you have the answer, you are obliged to answer the question.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Corbell and then we are going to move on.
Mr Corbell: Mr Speaker, there is no point of order. You have already ruled there is no point of order. I would simply draw to your attention that, of course, the opposition interrupted the minister. She has not completed her answer. They should not present her answer in a manner which is out of context with what she was saying.
MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Minister, you have the floor.
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