Page 942 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2012
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apology to community organisations, to apologise to another member of the Assembly for sexist comments, and to resign as the government whip after his note passing and sort of derogatory comments made about Mr Barr.
I just want to make those points that from an opposition’s point of view it is not that we have just had something that has gone wrong with Mr Hargreaves in an isolated sense. This is a pattern of behaviour now where it is very difficult for us to take him seriously. We are being asked to sit here in this place and adhere to his rulings, which we consider to be politically biased, to be inappropriate and to be made from a member who has shown scant regard for the rules of this place and has behaved in a most abominable fashion throughout the past weeks, and indeed probably months and years. This is a member who should know better.
The excuse was used by Mr Corbell today that Dr Bourke got something wrong but is a new member. You can argue that backwards and forwards, because they have decided to appoint him as a minister. It is certainly the case that there are complex forms of behaviour in this place and it does take a while to get across them. But there is no question that Mr Hargreaves knows the rules. He just chooses to abuse them. He tries to walk a fine line, and on occasion he steps over that.
On this side of the chamber we are thoroughly sick and tired of putting up with somebody who behaves in that fashion. If he wants to sit on the backbench over there and carry on like that, there is not much we can do about that. That is really a matter for the government and the Labor Party. But I think, Mr Speaker, it behoves you and the crossbench to consider whether he is fit to sit in your chair—because every time he does, and every time he makes one of his rulings or behaves in the fashion that he does, it demeans us all as MLAs, it shows us all in a poor light, and it makes it very difficult for the opposition, and I would have thought the Greens, to take rulings by Mr Hargreaves seriously when we consider his behaviour.
I will not continue any further. I think the point has been made. I and my colleagues have lost confidence in Mr Hargreaves in his role as Assistant Speaker. It makes it very difficult for us to continue with debate while he sits in that chair, politicising it and abusing members of the opposition from that chair. I think it is time that we all, as an Assembly, took action to make it clear that there are certain standards of behaviour in this place, and if you are not going to adhere to them you should not be put in a position where you preside over the Assembly.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella) (5.07): Mr Speaker, I think this motion really from their perspective is all about me. I actually do not really think it is all about me. I really think it is about those opposite and, in particular, Mr Hanson, the mover of the motion. Mr Hanson suggested that I am not politically impartial. Mr Speaker, had I put those very same numbers down in an adjournment debate, stood up in this place for whatever reason I indicated, and put those numbers—
Mr Hanson: Which is a more appropriate thing.
MR HARGREAVES: I heard you in silence. Then I could have been accused of putting a political spin on it. I could also have brought on a motion of grave concern
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