Page 2001 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 7 June 2017
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We are in the middle of question time and we are attempting to work our way through one of the most significant elements of the daily sitting pattern.
Mrs Jones interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mrs Jones, please allow the Chief Minister to speak.
MR BARR: Through this process of question time, non-executive members get to ask questions of members. That Mr Hanson is hurting and embarrassed by the fact that his comments were called to order, that he has been a serial offender in this place and that what we are witnessing right now is the demonstration of—
Mr Steel: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, under standing order 61: because of the constant interruptions from those opposite I cannot hear the Chief Minister speak. It is very clear—
MADAM SPEAKER: I ask members to remain silent while the Chief Minister is on his feet.
MR BARR: What we are witnessing is a very deliberate act and a consistent pattern of behaviour to make this place and question time unable to operate smoothly. People cannot even speak in this debate without constant interjections from serial offenders who have been on warnings nearly every day in this place and who, in any other parliament, would have been ejected because of their repeated poor behaviour.
Madam Speaker, you show a level of tolerance that I think goes above and beyond that of almost anyone else who has sat in that chair, and we resent the fact that in trying to control this place and get through question time in an orderly way—and you are conducting your duties in an appropriate manner—we need to indulge a bitter former Speaker on a personal crusade, as we have seen today.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (3.28): As much as it pains me, Madam Speaker, the Greens will be supporting the suspension of standing orders to allow Mrs Dunne to move a dissent motion. I think the motion is poor; we will not be supporting the dissent. It is within the Speaker’s purview to make these judgements on the day, but we believe the process allows Mrs Dunne to move the dissension if she wishes.
Question resolved in the affirmative, with the concurrence of an absolute majority.
Dissent from ruling
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (3.29): Madam Speaker, I move:
That the Speaker’s ruling be dissented from.
Madam Speaker, it pains me to have to do this but the performance today in this
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