Page 578 - Week 02 - Thursday, 19 February 2015

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MR HANSON: This is a debate, Madam Deputy Speaker.

Mr Corbell: He cannot seek to ignore the motion and speak on other things. He has to remain relevant to the motion.

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Corbell.

MR HANSON: On the point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, the Chief Minister’s speech was wide ranging and, indeed, provided a critique on the federal government more broadly and its impact on Canberra. I think that talking about the issues that matter to Canberrans and the urgency of this motion is directly relevant. I appreciate that those opposite want to shut me down from highlighting the fact that this is a nonsense motion that is not actually a matter for this Assembly or part of our jurisdictional responsibility, but I think it is entirely relevant to this debate.

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Whilst I appreciate, Mr Hanson, what you are trying to point out, I think that we could talk about every single motion we have had in this place and that would be a very long list. Rather than go down that long list of the kinds of motions that we have had on various topics, I would just ask you to remain relevant and go straight to the particular subject of the motion, which has clearly been set out by Mr Barr.

MR HANSON: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. With direct reference to the motion put out by Mr Barr, I wonder how this motion today will help those who are waiting on housing lists for public housing. How will Mr Barr’s motion and this debate today help those who are on public housing lists?

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Would you sit down, please? Stop the clock.

MR HANSON: I was talking about the motion.

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, you well know that the motion today is not about those things. You are using all those examples which we referred to before. As I said, you could go through a long list, but it is not going to be helpful and it will not progress the debate, I do not believe. You have made your point. Would you now address the subject matter of the motion?

MR HANSON: On the point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, I think that pointing out that this matter is not within the jurisdictional remit of the ACT is an entirely relevant debating point. We have seen it in other debates in this place. When we debated, for example, the same-sex marriage bill, there was significant debate that was not ruled out of order with regard to whether or not we had jurisdictional responsibility. It is common in this place that that would be a debate. To rule that wide-ranging debate out of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, would be unnecessarily and incorrectly punitive.

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much, Mr Hanson.


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