Page 2433 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 7 August 1990
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Prowse has not been granted leave of the Assembly, although I understand that there will be a motion proposed to the Assembly today by the Attorney-General. The matter of the confirmation of the minutes of the last branch meeting of the Legislative Assembly branch of the CPA is a matter for the branch and I trust those minutes will be considered in due course. I understand that a motion to grant leave will be put to the Assembly soon. I do not propose to comment on the question of the retrospective granting of leave.
MR COLLAERY (Deputy Chief Minister) (4.18): Mr Acting Speaker, I move:
That leave of absence from 7 to 14 August inclusive be given to the Speaker.
Mr Acting Speaker, I understand that Mr Prowse, as Speaker, is attending a regional seminar of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Mr Wood: Is this retrospective leave?
Mr Kaine: No.
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Order, Mr Wood! The question is that the motion be agreed to.
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (4.19): Mr Acting Speaker, we on this side of the house will be opposing this motion because we believe it is absolutely improper. Mr Prowse has been absent from this chamber without leave and if you look at your standing orders, particularly standing order 23, they say:
A Member shall be excused from service in the Assembly, or any committee, as long as the Member has leave of absence.
Mr Prowse has been absent from the Assembly all this afternoon without any such authority and that was the point of my question. When I asked you a question in question time it was not, where is he? Is he in Rarotonga or where? The question was: under what authority is he absent? He is absent under no authority whatsoever.
Mr Acting Speaker, we cannot consider this question of granting leave. If Mr Prowse is in the Assembly precincts I think you ought to send for him. I think we know where he is.
Mr Kaine: I do not know where he is. Perhaps if you know you should have taken action sooner.
MS FOLLETT: He has not sought leave. Mr Acting Speaker, the whole point of my having raised this issue is that it was quite open for the Government or whoever are Mr Prowse's friends - the Liberal Party perhaps - to have moved a motion at the very start of this sitting that he be
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