Page 945 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2012
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Mrs Dunne: Point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.
Mrs Dunne: The motion before the Assembly is in relation to whether the Assembly has confidence in Mr Hargreaves as the Assistant Speaker. What Mr Hargreaves thinks about language that a member of the opposition might use or their behaviour—this is the point of order, Mr Speaker—is irrelevant to the matter and you should ask Mr Hargreaves to be relevant to the question.
MR HARGREAVES: On the point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, on the point of order. Stop the clocks, thank you.
MR HARGREAVES: It is a convention—I say it again that these folks do not respect convention—in this place that the person who is the subject of a want of confidence motion is given the latitude to question the motives of the people bringing the motion forward, to question the validity of the statements they are bringing forward, and I am availing myself of that convention, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: On the point of order, I think the debate is about an appropriate standard of conduct of behaviour in the chamber. Whilst Mr Hanson’s conduct is not the point of discussion, I think there is a general discussion about how members conduct themselves. Mr Hargreaves, I will let you continue on this point but please do not dwell on it.
MR HARGREAVES: Thank you. Sure.
MR SPEAKER: I think you have probably made the point you need to and you could now move on.
MR HARGREAVES: Thanks very much, Mr Speaker. I conclude that particular point. Those opposite, and Mr Hanson in particular, are in no place, no space appropriately to talk to me about behaviour in this chamber. The number of times that he has just got to the point of having expressions of great concern about him have been quite numerous.
Mr Speaker, this is about performance in the chair. This is an accusation against me for having political bias. When I have warned those opposite, the Leader of the Opposition has stood up, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has stood up, Mr Hanson has stood up and accused me of being biased. The numbers that I have quoted are 165 interjections in a one hour period, 151 of which, by my tally, were by the opposition. It is about that side of the house, Mr Speaker. It is not about being politically biased at all. It is about where does the extent of bad behaviour during debates occur in this chamber.
I would suggest to you, Mr Speaker, that if I wanted to be politically biased about it I would not give anybody any warning ever. That is not so. I have given a clear
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