Page 2572 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 8 August 1990
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as a practice the right of members to move dissent from the Chair.
Mr Collaery: I will ask the Government benches to oppose the motion simply because I believe the Administration and Procedures Committee should look at the arguments off this floor and advise the house. I expressed the view that I would not oppose Mr Berry's approach, but I believe there are strong arguments in other Commonwealth Parliaments for not having this, and I think the committee is the proper forum to consider the matter.
Suspension of Standing and Temporary Orders
MR BERRY (11.57): To clarify the matter, and to ensure that there is a vote on it one way or the other, I move:
That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent Mr Berry from moving a motion of dissent from the Acting Speaker's ruling on the two Bills.
MR ACTING SPEAKER: Mr Berry, do you want to therefore move, effectively by leave, another motion of dissent as opposed to this motion which you have handed in?
MR BERRY: I think you have ruled on that. I have moved for suspension of so much of standing orders as will prevent me from moving a motion of dissent from your ruling. This will sort the matter out one way or the other, and the issue can then be referred to the appropriate Assembly committee later in relation to what might happen in future in this Assembly.
The issue is important. It is about the right of members to move dissent from the Chair. All members are aware of the issues which would give rise to a decision in relation to the matter. They are also aware of your rulings and they are aware of the reasons for your making them. In this instance I think it is very important, because of the political and legal reasons which have been raised in the debate about the Royal Canberra Hospital Bill, that the Opposition argues its case in relation to dissent from your ruling.
Mr Acting Speaker, this Royal Canberra Hospital Bill is an important one for the community and of course it is important that we argue the issue now because of the relevance in the community. There is a strong case to argue against the Government's position on the delivery of health services in the ACT and the Labor Opposition wishes to put that case.
We say that the legal position which has been adopted so far is incorrect. It stands in the way of the provision of proper debate on issues as important as the Royal Canberra
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