Page 2363 - Week 06 - Thursday, 23 June 2011

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Mrs Dunne interjecting—

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Let us return the courtesy, Mrs Dunne. I am not going to put up with it.

Mr Hanson: Mr Assistant Speaker, just on the point, and I am not—

MR CORBELL: Stop the clock, please.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Yes, please stop the clock.

Mr Hanson: I just want to make the point that I was not actually heard in silence, in regard to your ruling. There was significant interjection and noise emanating from the crossbench, and I accept not from the government. But your claim that I was heard in silence is not entirely correct, I would assert, Mr Assistant Speaker.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, I was listening very closely to the debate upstairs and I did not hear that interjection. As far as I am concerned, there is a discourtesy at play here. I do not give a monkey’s who is going to dish that discourtesy out; I will stop it. Thank you. Minister, you have the floor.

MR CORBELL: Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. The former acting superintendent was an employee of the New South Wales public service on secondment to the ACT public service. The former acting superintendent has returned to his substantive positions in New South Wales Corrective Services.

This is a staffing matter. I could perhaps understand Mr Hanson’s position if this was an appointment made by me as the minister, but it is not. I had no role in the appointment or in the management of employment arrangements within my directorate. Those are the responsibilities of my director-general and her relevant senior executive officers.

I would draw to the opposition’s attention the absurdity of their position that they argue that a standing committee of this place should be appointed to review a public service staffing matter. Is it going to be the new standard of those opposite that every time a public servant is aggrieved in relation to an employment matter there be a full-blown Assembly inquiry into it? It is an absurd and stupid proposition, and it shows how grubby this approach from the Liberal Party is in relation to this matter. I would draw, Mr Assistant Speaker—

Mr Seselja: A point of order, Mr Assistant Speaker.

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: A point of order. Stop the clock. Mr Seselja?

Mr Seselja: The minister has now apparently withdrawn the word “grubby”. I would ask you to get him to stick to the facts because it is the second time he has used that word.


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