Page 2371 - Week 06 - Thursday, 23 June 2011

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MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Minister for Territory and Municipal Services and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (11.32): There are, regrettably, days when I come to this place and I do not feel particularly proud of the conduct of this place. And this is one of those days. I do not think I have heard the Assembly stoop lower than what I have heard today.

What we are talking about is the private employment circumstances of a seconded public servant who has come to the ACT and performed a period of service here and then returned to New South Wales. Clearly the person involved feels aggrieved.

But it is one thing to feel aggrieved and it is another for those opposite to seek to use it for their base political motive, to try to use it to further their political agenda and their political critique of the government. It is just disgusting. I have to say it is just disgusting. Is it going to be the case that every time there is a public servant who is aggrieved about some employment matter it is going to be used to further some base political, partisan argument in this place?

I would have thought they were better than that, but they are not. They are not better than that. They are just tawdry and unprincipled and are prepared to use a person’s name and a person’s claim in whatever way suits their base political motives. It is just grubby.

It being 45 minutes after the commencement of Assembly business, the debate was interrupted in accordance with standing order 77. Ordered that the time allotted to Assembly business be extended by 30 minutes.

MR CORBELL: It is just grubby and—

Mr Seselja: Point of order—

MR CORBELL: I withdraw “grubby”—

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

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Stop the clock. A point of order—

Mr Seselja: Point of order—

MR CORBELL: I withdraw.

Mr Seselja: No, I am moving a point of order so that you can see—

MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, if you want to have your point of order heard, do not address it across the floor. Address it to the chair, please; otherwise we will sit you down. Now what was it?


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