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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 9 Hansard (18 November) . . Page.. 2589 ..

Mr Humphries: He will.

MR STANHOPE: That should have been done at the outset rather than moving for a suspension of standing orders in order to introduce a separate Bill. Let us get the processes straight.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care) (10.55): Mr Speaker, I move:

That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent debate on this motion being extended until the Assembly suspends for lunch.

MR SPEAKER: You are referring to this motion for the suspension of standing orders, Mr Moore?

MR MOORE: I am seeking to extend the time limit for debate on the motion to suspend standing orders.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you. It is normally 15 minutes, members. Is everybody clear? Thank you.

Question resolved in the affirmative, with the concurrence of an absolute majority.

MR MOORE (Minister for Health and Community Care) (10.56): Mr Speaker, this attempt by Mr Osborne to suspend standing orders is an admission of the failure of his Bill. It is an admission that his Bill is a disaster. Not too long after it was introduced, Mr Speaker, I drew attention to 13 major problems with his Bill and said there were many more. That is what this suspension motion is about, Mr Speaker; it is about the admission that there are problems with that piece of legislation. The most significant thing is that Mr Osborne is now admitting the Bill was fatally flawed because he is going to withdraw it and introduce an alternative. It is fatally flawed because it attacks the rights of women.

Mr Kaine: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. We have just adopted a motion to extend the debate on the motion for the suspension of standing orders. I would request, Mr Speaker, that you make people speak to that subject and not the content of the Bill that we are arguing about.

MR MOORE: It is a shame that Mr Kaine is not listening, Mr Speaker, because what I was saying was that the suspension of standing orders - - -

MR SPEAKER: Just a moment, Mr Moore, please. I will not allow a wide-ranging debate on the issue of abortion. We are dealing with the question of the suspension of standing orders. I would ask members, as I asked Mr Berry earlier, to confine their remarks to that point.

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