Page 3334 - Week 08 - Thursday, 23 August 2012

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The University of Canberra is expecting enrolments to rise from 10,500 today to 16,500 in 2018. As such, the university has significant plans for further accommodation, and on-campus 1 is just part of a significant expansion.

Mrs Dunne: Point of order, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Order! One moment, Mr Barr. Stop the clocks, thank you.

Mrs Dunne: I would like an explanation, if I could, Mr Speaker, about why we are debating this. Standing order 65 relates to the adjournment. Mr Hanson moved that the debate be adjourned to a later hour this day. Standing order 65 says that that question should be put forthwith and without debate. I am wondering why we have not dealt with Mr Hanson’s motion to adjourn to a later hour this day.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne; I see your point, but Mr Barr was in the middle of moving his motion and he cannot be interrupted at that point. Mr Hanson actually did not have the call. Mr Barr, you have the floor. Mr Hanson—

Members interjecting—

MR SPEAKER: Members, let us be sensible about this. Mr Hanson can move the adjournment when Mr Barr is finished. Mr Hanson will get the same outcome and you will have actually had the opportunity to hear the minister’s explanation of why he wants to move this motion. So let us just be sensible about this and move on.

Mrs Dunne: I am actually legitimately seeking your clarification.

MR SPEAKER: Yes.

Mrs Dunne: Mr Barr moved the motion; Mr Hanson moved an adjournment. Why is Mr Barr now speaking to the motion?

MR SPEAKER: Because Mr Barr still had the call. As the mover of the motion, he was entitled to make introductory remarks. On that basis, Mr Hanson did not have the call. My understanding and my advice are that the Assistant Speaker thought that Mr Hanson was taking a point of order. He did not have the call to move an adjournment. He had the call if he sought to move a point of order, but that is not what he did. So in that sense he never had the call. But he can have the call as soon as Mr Barr has finished speaking. Mr Barr, you have the floor.

MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is going to be a long day. The University of Canberra is expecting its enrolments to increase from 10,500 today to nearly 16,500 in 2018. As such, the university has significant plans for further accommodation. As I said, this project, on-campus 1, is just part of that significant expansion. Overall, on the university campus there will be around 1,350 accommodation places supported through NRAS and ACT government contributions, with more than 700 beds still to be provided through wing 4 of the old Cameron offices and on-campus stage 2.


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