Page 27 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 14 February 2012

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MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Ms Hunter, for a moment, please. Stop the clock. The interjections from this side are unacceptable and they are continuing, even though I am asking you to stop. Next time somebody interjects—I do not care from which side of the house—I will warn them. We will listen to Ms Hunter in silence.

MS HUNTER: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Let us be very clear. This is about an ongoing issue. This is not a systemic issue. We had the Auditor-General’s investigation some time ago and it set up new systems. Everybody else is complying, except for one office that was mentioned in the annual report of the Secretariat. Mr Hargreaves asked the question and from there flowed an FOI request for that information, and now this information is out in the public.

Let us not try and put up a smokescreen, let us not try and muddy the waters here, because that is exactly the tactic that is going on here this morning. We need to be clear that this is about a particular matter, an ongoing matter, in one member’s office. We have a way forward to be able to clear up the matter if that is what happens after these processes are completed. This is a little bit of flailing about by the opposition. Let us get on to voting on the motion. Let us get on to getting those processes underway. If there is no issue here then those processes will show it.

Mr Smyth interjecting—

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, you are warned.

MS HUNTER: If there is an issue then we will need to address that matter if it arises. But for these reasons—and let us be very clear—we will not be supporting the amendments. It is not a systemic problem. It is to do with the Leader of the Opposition’s office. Let us focus our attention on where—

Mr Doszpot interjecting—

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, you are warned.

MS HUNTER: it needs to be focused.

Question put:

That Mr Smyth’s amendments be agreed to.

The Assembly voted–

Question so resolved in the negative.

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