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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (9 August) . . Page.. 2722 ..

Motion of censure

MR HUMPHRIES (Chief Minister, Minister for Community Affairs and Treasurer) (5.46): I move:

That this Assembly, noting:

that Mr Quinlan is recorded in the draft Hansard for yesterday, 8 August 2001, as referring to Ms Burke as a "condescending bloody woman ";

that Mr Quinlan, when asked earlier today to withdraw the remark, persistently denied that he had made it;

that in discussion of this matter earlier today Mr Stanhope, who is the Opposition's spokesman on the status of women, claimed to remember the proceedings well enough to aver that Mr Quinlan had not made the remark;

that an examination of the audio recording of the proceedings clearly reveals that Mr Quinlan did make the remark recorded in the draft Hansard;

(1) Censures Mr Quinlan both for his sexist language and for his dishonest denial that he made the remark recorded in the draft Hansard; and

(2) Censures Mr Stanhope for failing to provide leadership on, and uphold among his party, acceptable standards of parliamentary conduct and honesty and due respect for the status of women.

This motion, which has been circulated in the chamber in my name, deals with remarks made yesterday by Mr Quinlan in referring to Mrs Burke as a "condescending, bloody woman". Mr Speaker, the motion seeks to censure both Mr Quinlan and Mr Stanhope for their role in what I think is a quite unfortunate, indeed disgraceful, episode that occurred in this place yesterday.

First of all, Mr Speaker, let me set the scene for what occurred yesterday. Yesterday was a fairly testy day in the Assembly. Indeed, that is probably true of many days in the Assembly these days. After question time there were a number of exchanges in which members were making remarks about each other, personal reflections on each other, and the temperature was admittedly fairly high.

I rose at about half past three to present a number of documents, including contracts for a number of public servants. At the end of my presentation of the contracts I asked members to respect the sensitivity associated with the contracts. Not every member of the chamber was present. Certainly I was present, as were Mr Quinlan, Mr Berry, Mr Speaker and Mrs Burke. In particular, I might note, Ms Tucker was not present, which is relevant to the course of events.

There was some angst or difference of view about the appeal that I was making to the chamber to treat the tabled documents with sensitivity. Members for some reason had some concern with that view being expressed by me. In the course of my remarks there was some exchange across the chamber. Mr Quinlan made a remark directed at this side of the chamber. My recollection is that Mrs Burke and I were sitting where we are now. I do not believe there were other members present-I could be corrected-on this side of the chamber. A remark was directed at this side of the chamber by Mr Quinlan. I heard the word "condescending". That word was said quite loudly and I heard it very distinctly.

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