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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 6 Hansard (13 June) . . Page.. 1586 ..

Mr Hird: Okay. I take your advice and I will also speak to the motion.

MR HUMPHRIES: Well, I have the right to speak to the motion first, Mr Speaker, not Mr Kaine.

MR SPEAKER: The motion is to suspend standing orders. That is what is before the house at the moment.

Mr Hird: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I apologise to the house. We took advice from the secretariat as to the proper procedure to be followed. As you would be aware, Mr Speaker, a deadline was placed by this place on the date by which the select committee was to report, and that date was last Friday.

As Chairman Quinlan has indicated, there was a deliberative meeting on Friday to make certain arrangements in respect of his document as chair of the committee. The document had to be completed by that afternoon. So that the Quinlan Select Committee on Estimates would not be in breach of standing orders, we were asked by the secretariat to append the attachment, which we did.

In that attachment we indicated that at a later time in this place we would deliver our report, which my colleague Mrs Burke is attempting to do now. So, in accordance with standing orders, this house has to give us the right, as members of the committee, to table our dissenting report. I trust that assists Mr Kaine in his concern about the procedures concerning this matter.

Mr Kaine: You are out of order, Harold. You are out of order totally.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, this is a most extraordinary move by members of the Liberal Party. Mr Speaker, can I draw your attention to the dissenting report.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I rise on the point of order. Mr Speaker, I have moved the motion and it is usual courtesy for the mover of a motion to speak to the motion before other members are allowed to speak to it.

Mr Berry: Well, you sat down.

Mr Humphries: No, I did not sit down. Mr Speaker, I was standing when Mr Kaine was given the floor, apparently on the assumption that he was raising-

Mr Wood: You had your chance.

Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: the minister is now closing the debate because in moving the motion he has spoken to it. By rising to speak now he is closing the debate. Mr Speaker, this is extraordinary.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, on Mr Berry's point: I did not speak to my motion at all other than to move it.

MR SPEAKER: No, you did not.

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