Page 1915 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2016

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Mrs Jones: You are not the relevant minister.

MR RATTENBURY: She is still interjecting across the chamber—and I can hardly hear myself think—that I am not the relevant minister.

Dr Bourke: On a point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker, the continued interjections from the opposition are making it difficult for Mr Rattenbury to speak, which is contrary to the standing orders.

MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you, Dr Bourke. I would ask the opposition to come to order. When I say “Order”, that would generally mean that you would stop your interjections, just in case you are not quite clear what “Order” means.

Visitors

MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Before we continue and resume with Mr Rattenbury, I would like to welcome Ainslie primary year 6 to the gallery. Welcome to your Assembly.

Administration and Procedure—Standing Committee

Reference

MR RATTENBURY: Mrs Jones has been interjecting across the chamber that I am not the relevant minister, but as Mrs Jones might have learned after 3½ years in this place I am actually a member of the Greens Party and I exercise my own vote in this place. Yes I do often vote with the Labor Party in this place, because I happen to agree with them more often, but, as members will know, there have been occasions on which I have voted with the other party as well. Mrs Jones is simply reflecting on her own ignorance, or her wilful ignorance, of the construct of this chamber.

MS BERRY (Ginninderra—Minister for Housing, Community Services and Social Inclusion, Minister for Multicultural and Youth Affairs, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister for Women) (11.59): I wanted to rise today just to confirm to Mrs Jones that every single member in this place at this time supports the right of a woman with care and responsibilities to come into this chamber and breastfeed when she comes back to work. There is no doubt about that.

Mr Jones interjecting—

MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mrs Jones, I called you to order.

MS BERRY: Mrs Jones is right to say that we need to make sure that whoever comes into this place as a member of this Assembly continues along that path as well, and that every person who comes into this place to work has that right as well. But simply making the call to future members of this place is not going to make that right.

What this does is get it absolutely right through the admin committee and makes sure that every person who comes into this place has the right to care for their child in this


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