Page 973 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 27 March 1990
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MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Berry. I will take your point of order. I withdraw the comment that you were purposely doing this. However, I will give my opinion and let others judge. The point is that then Mr Whalan was not pulled up on his disregard to the rules of this Assembly, which are your rules. If you do not want to abide by them, please change them.
Mr Berry: Again it is an issue of debate.
MR SPEAKER: That is right. They are not my rules. I am trying to enforce them for the order of the house. It is very difficult. At 10 o'clock Mr Whalan then also gave a wink.
Mr Moore: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; standing order 52 says that a member, and I presume that includes yourself, "may not reflect upon any vote of the Assembly, except upon a motion that such a vote be rescinded." Therefore I presume that this is, in effect, moving a rescinding of that motion.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Moore, for your observation. All members in this chamber tonight were allowed to comment on the events tonight. I presume that I am entitled to do so. If the Assembly so rules that I am not, please advise me now.
Mr Berry states that warnings were not given to anyone other than Mr Whalan and that I had a hair-trigger; that, in fact, no warnings were given. Warnings were given. I called the Leader of the Opposition's attention to the fact that Mr Whalan was once again not abiding by standing order 40. The Leader of the Opposition should bring her members to order.
The other thing that I would bring to members' attention was the "wanker" comment the other day. Mr Whalan was clearly out of order. He did not withdraw the comments he made. Once again Mr Whalan is pushing the whole of this Assembly to the point where the Assembly is reacting against him.
Mr Moore: Mr Speaker, would you please now do the same sort of thing about the conduct of the Chief Minister as you have done about the conduct of Mr Whalan, because his conduct has been reprehensible in the same way? I have heard him override you on many occasions. In the interests of a balanced view - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Yes, I attempt to do that. I believe that I should conclude my statement now, but please all think on the matters before us. The Assembly is coming into disrepute. I am trying now to bring down a firmer hand on the behaviour and some members are objecting to that. I would ask you all to talk to one another and come to the decision that we all need to get on with the business before the house and not play these silly games.
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