Page 5335 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 3 December 1991
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Mr Collaery: It certainly was. Mr Speaker, if we are going to have this childish debate, of course you will rule whether the standing orders require members to sign MPIs, which of course they do
not at the moment; and, if our staff sign an MPI on direction, so be it. Mr Speaker, if you rule that we should sign MPIs, of course we will accept your ruling; but our examination of the standing orders shows that they do not require it.
Mr Connolly: It says "A member", not "A member's staff".
MR SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Collaery: Mr Speaker, could I complete the statement, because I resent, as any honourable person would, that implication in Mr Berry's statement. Would it be necessary that all the writs and affidavits that are served and issued throughout this country bear the names of the long-dead proprietors of the legal firms and their signatures? The fact of the matter is, Mr Speaker, in common procedural forms - - -
Mr Berry: It is required to have the signature of the person it says it is.
Mr Collaery: Mr Speaker, the non-practising Attorney smiles. He would not know these things. Mr Speaker, I think we have just wasted a few minutes. I will sit down now. I think it is a trite and silly point that Mr Berry raises.
MR SPEAKER: I disagree with your observation. I would ask you to now withdraw the words you used, that Mr Berry attempted to mislead the house.
Mr Collaery: I withdraw the statement that Mr Berry attempted to mislead the house, but I put on the record - I am not qualifying it - that Mr Berry said - - -
MR SPEAKER: That is all I require, thank you, Mr Collaery. I would ask you to resume your seat.
Members will be aware that the standing orders require that a written notice of a matter of public importance proposed for discussion must be given to the Speaker not less than two hours before the time fixed for the meeting of the Assembly. If the Speaker determines that the matter is in order, it is then submitted to the Assembly. Though the standing orders do not state that a member must sign the written proposal, I believe that that is implied in the provisions of the standing order.
A matter was submitted this morning, purportedly signed by a member. In this case I was able later to determine that the matter had been submitted with the authority of the member. I do not believe that the practice of others
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