Page 2673 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 October 1992
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Mr Connolly: Madam Speaker, is Mr De Domenico going to withdraw that interjection, "Untrue"?
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr De Domenico, the veracity of a statement does not belie the fact of unparliamentary language. I have ruled on this before. You are not permitted to accuse anyone of lying. I ask you to withdraw.
Mr De Domenico: I did not accuse anybody. I said that the statement was untrue.
MADAM SPEAKER: If that was the intent of your statement, rather than accusing someone of being a direct liar, I will let it pass this time. I will allow no imputation of anyone being a liar to go through. Please continue, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: Madam Speaker, only truth flows from my lips. Employers were consulted.
Mr De Domenico: That statement is untrue.
MR BERRY: That is an imputation.
Mr Kaine: Your earlier statement was that they were consulted fully. That is a different thing.
MR BERRY: Only the truth has been told, Madam Speaker, and the imputation is that an untruth was made. That imputation ought to be withdrawn in the interests of - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr De Domenico, you are pushing a very fine line there. Saying that it is untrue directly after Mr Berry made a statement is a direct imputation that what Mr Berry was saying was untrue. That second statement was a direct imputation. I would like you to withdraw the second one, not the first one.
Mr De Domenico: Madam Speaker, I cannot - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: You are not permitted to debate points of order or rulings on my part, Mr De Domenico. I repeat: Mr Berry made the statement directly, "I am not stating an untruth". You then said, "It is untrue". The imputation is therefore directly clear that you are accusing Mr Berry of lying in that particular instance. In that particular instance, I will ask you to withdraw that comment.
Mr De Domenico: I will withdraw in that particular instance, Madam Speaker; no other instance.
MR BERRY: Good lad.
Mr De Domenico: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, can I suggest to Mr Berry that the words "good lad" might be replaced by "Mr De Domenico" or "the member opposite" or something.
MADAM SPEAKER: That is appropriate, Mr De Domenico. We should refer to one another by name.
MR BERRY: I withdraw. Good on you, Mr De Domenico. As I have already pointed out, the Alliance Government supported the ACTU position on parental leave, and it puzzles me that they would turn around on this legislation.
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