Page 692 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 May 1992
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occasions, albeit with considerable publicity. I refer Mr Cornwell to page 2 of the report of the Standing Committee on Administration and Procedures. Paragraph 14 reads:
The Committee considered that the proposed amendment again raises significant issues in relation to the rights of independent Members. There may be occasions where a Member may wish to have a call of the Assembly on an issue even though the eventual outcome is clear, so that the Member's dissent is officially recorded.
I believe that that is a significant provision which should be retained by the Assembly, and that is the reason, and one of the major reasons, why the standing committee has decided to move in this way. It goes on:
If it is clear that a Member is acting in a vexatious manner it is always open to the Assembly to adopt a special order to cope with the situation.
We believed that that was the appropriate way in which to deal with this, to ensure the rights of individual members, who are, after all, elected by the citizenry of the ACT. They have a right to be heard in this house. We have said that we will keep this proposal under review. If Mr Cornwell at any stage feels miffed at the actions of any member, the provisions of the standing orders are available to him, as they are to anybody else, to deal with that matter, at your pleasure, Madam Speaker.
It is with some appreciation that I conclude my discussion on this matter. That appreciation should be extended to your staff, Madam Speaker, as manifest through the secretary of the Administration and Procedures Committee who prepared this report. I would not say that that was done under trying circumstances, but I suggest that the debate was free and frank in the Administration and Procedures Committee when this matter was discussed. I think this report is testament to their skill and commitment.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
ADMINISTRATION AND PROCEDURES - STANDING COMMITTEE
Report on Assembly Business
Debate resumed from 13 May 1992, on motion by Mr Lamont:
That the report be adopted.
MR CORNWELL (10.51): Madam Speaker, this report which was brought forward by the Administration and Procedures Committee recommends that certain categories of what is termed Assembly business should be moved to a special time on Thursdays following consideration of any government notices to introduce Bills and that the time limit for this Assembly business should be 45 minutes.
The committee has examined a number of the items that constitute what we call Assembly business and I have to say that it has decided that it would exclude certain of those items from such consideration on Thursdays under the 45-minute limit. Those exclusions, to which I might add I have no objections, are the
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