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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 2893 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

I must confess to having been surprised not to have been asked to withdraw the word. Mr Speaker, I put it to you that it would be unnecessary to actually proceed with this motion if you could rule on this motion right now. I very much doubt that you would need to consider for very long the question of whether the word "harlot" is unparliamentary. I would ask you to consider and rule on this matter right now, and avoid the need to deal with this matter in the way suggested by the motion.

MR BERRY (Leader of the Opposition): I would like to have leave to have a word or two on this as well.

MR SPEAKER: You will have to seek leave. I am sure that it will be granted.

MR BERRY: May I have leave of the Assembly to make a statement?

Leave granted.

MR BERRY: I was the subject of the original accusation. I never felt particularly wounded by it, coming from Mr Humphries, because I have copped the sting before, and so have some of his other colleagues - his own colleagues - who have probably been more wounded by his smart-alec and spiteful remarks. Mr Speaker, I was not particularly wounded by it. But what I will say is that, once such a thing breaks out onto the public airwaves, it does bring this place into disrepute.

Mr Humphries has made a special point of describing Mr Corbell as the pot calling the kettle black. There is no doubt that there are people in this place who have said some angry things over time, in passionate debates over issues. But, when called to order and pushed to a point, generally people withdraw them. There is a long list of withdrawals. Many withdrawals have been made without members being ordered to do so by the Chair. Mr Speaker, the interesting point about this issue is that Mr Humphries was arguing that the Chair could not even rule on the matter, in some sort of legalese, to try to avoid the embarrassment of being told that he had said something that was outrageously unacceptable in this place. Mr Speaker, thank you for your leave to speak. If I had not been mentioned in the course of the earlier discussion, I would not even have risen to speak on the matter. I am happy for you to rule immediately, Mr Speaker.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, have you just put that motion to the vote?

MR SPEAKER: Yes.

Mr Humphries: I did ask you to consider an alternative course of action in that matter, and I would ask you to do so now.

MR SPEAKER: I could not very well do that, however, Mr Humphries, until first of all I had the advice that the Assembly was, in fact, supporting the motion. The motion, I note, calls on me, the Speaker, "to review the proof Hansard of the proceedings". That I have not done yet.

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