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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 4 Hansard (27 March) . . Page.. 891 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: He has indicated clearly what he wanted to do on behalf of the government. He wrote to members as a courtesy to tell them about what he proposed to do. He gave notice of that, unlike those opposite who pulled a stunt this morning by announcing a motion of which they had given no notice whatsoever to anyone else in this chamber, at least no-one on this side of the chamber. Mr Speaker, if you want to see who is sincere about wanting to fix this mess, you will find out that it is the government.

I view what happened on the occasion of the last sitting as a matter of considerable concern. Mr Berry is absolutely right when he says that the authority of the Speaker was undermined by the failure of that motion in respect of Mr Kaine. He was absolutely right about that, Mr Speaker. But it does seem strange to me to have Mr Berry utter those words, as Mr Berry and his five Labor colleagues in this place unanimously opposed the motion which he now says undermined the authority of the Speaker.

How to restore that authority is a matter of some contention and, no doubt, we will have that debate. We ought to suspend standing orders to allow us to have that debate. In particular, I think it is important that we take the time to work out how the Assembly should deal with this matter. Refusing to suspend standing orders is not the way to do that. Refusing to suspend standing orders leaves the situation unresolved. The government has given notice of its intention to bring the matter forward and I think it would behove Labor to let that debate go forward, because we need to act in some way.

Mr Stanhope: Which debate?

MR HUMPHRIES: The debate on the motion that Mr Moore has foreshadowed. Mr Kaine has foreshadowed a further motion to suspend standing orders. If I might speak briefly to his amendment before he moves it, he wants to add a standing order 113B and amend standing order 160, I assume. He has told us that he wishes to amend the standing orders, but has not told us what he proposes to do. Generally, when someone wants to suspend standing orders, they announce what they propose to do with that suspension, such as move a motion, and usually, the motion is fairly clear. I do not know what Mr Kaine's motion will be. Therefore, I am concerned that we have not been privileged to know what is going on. Again, I urge members not to proceed in this place by way of apathy.

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! There is far too much audible conversation. I remind members that I have already written to them about behaviour in the chamber.

Mr Wood: The Manager of Government Business is the one you are talking about, I take it.

MR SPEAKER: All members in the chamber. I can only assume that you have not had the opportunity to read it or you cannot read. If members want to have conversations, please go outside.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I will say briefly that there are two matters being moved on the floor of the chamber today-one by Mr Berry and one by Mr Kaine-of which no notice has been given in this place. The government has given notice of its intentions, and I ask members to ensure that that matter is debated.

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