Page 4665 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 19 October 2011

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MR SPEAKER: I am afraid I actually did not hear Mr Smyth’s interjection.

Mr Smyth: The Chief Minister said the government does not accept that the directorate has broken the law but Ms Burch has told us that the directorate has broken the law. So which is true? The disarray within the government is quite amazing. I simply asked the question.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Smyth. There is no point of order at this time.

Mr Hargreaves: Mr Speaker, on the point of order, Mr Smyth did not preamble his interjection in that way. He just said “and she misled the Assembly”. That should be withdrawn. It should be withdrawn or be the subject of a substantive motion, which I thought was dealt with yesterday.

Mr Smyth: On the point of order, Mr Speaker—

MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, I am fine, thank you. Sit down. There is no point of order. I did not hear it. Whilst the point you raise is correct in theory, Mr Hargreaves, I did not hear it and, given the amount of shouting that was going on at the time, the tape is not going to have picked it up. So I cannot undertake to review it. But I will keep an ear open. Chief Minister, you have the floor.

MS GALLAGHER: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I find it easy to block Mr Smyth’s interjections out as well. Sometimes when they all shout, it is easier to get on with the answer. As I said earlier in question time, there is advice coming to government around the issues raised in the Public Advocate’s report.

Mrs Dunne interjecting

MS GALLAGHER: It is a matter of ongoing consideration, Mrs Dunne. I know the opposition is excited and is salivating at the issues raised in the Public Advocate’s report. The government takes further advice.

Mrs Dunne interjecting—

MR SPEAKER: One moment, Chief Minister, thank you. Stop the clocks. Mrs Dunne, you have repeatedly interjected and you are warned for repeated interjections. Chief Minister, you have the floor.

MS GALLAGHER: The government is taking further advice on this, and the minister, when appropriate, will make a further statement around it.

MR SPEAKER: Supplementary, Mr Seselja.

MR SESELJA: Minister, how low are the standards of ministerial responsibility in your government when you can claim that, in a situation where children have been left highly traumatised and the law has been breached on multiple occasions, the minister has fulfilled her responsibilities and fulfilled them to a very high standard?


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