Page 3999 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 22 October 1991
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Assembly and debate it. That will determine whether what he has said, in the view of the Assembly, is true. If it is, there should be no withdrawal either before or after that debate takes place.
Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, on a point of order: Very clearly, standing order 202 comes into effect at this point. Mr Duby has persistently and wilfully refused to withdraw the offensive words, which is mentioned at standing order 202(c), and I call on you to name him.
MR SPEAKER: I overrule your point of order, Mr Humphries. I believe that my statement is correct, that Mr Duby has to withdraw it in the first instance and then move a substantive motion if he so wishes. So, I will give you the opportunity once again under the circumstances, Mr Duby, to withdraw the statement.
Mr Duby: Mr Speaker, given the advice that you have undoubtedly received from the Clerk, I will accept your ruling that that is the procedure that needs to be adopted. I withdraw, therefore, the claim that I have made - that Mr Connolly is misleading the house - and give notice that I shall move a motion censuring the Minister later this day.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Duby. I also draw your attention to the fact that I took that decision before I spoke to the Clerk; I do not appreciate that imputation, either.
MR CONNOLLY: Mr Speaker, I think I was answering the question before that little tirade. The position is complicated by your ruling that was given last week - that it is inappropriate for members to refer to the transcript of what was said at that committee. If members of the Assembly seem to think that what was said there was a problem, given that the forum in which the supposedly offensive phrases were uttered is still in place - that is, the Estimates Committee that was sitting until last week - if they ask me to come back before the committee and explain my statements I will be more than happy to do so. We can do that there with the full freedom to refer to the transcripts and carry it on at an appropriate level.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I would like to know under what standing order the Minister is debating this question.
MR CONNOLLY: I am answering a question. My answer remains that I do not believe that I have misled anyone. The answer that has consistently been given on staff numbers in some detail was that there were ongoing talks about staff numbers; there was no need to increase staff numbers because a function had been increased. I do not see that there has been any misleading. If members have read it that way, it is their problem.
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