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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 8 Hansard (9 August) . . Page.. 2723 ..

Motion of (continuing):

Mrs Burke heard the word "bloody", and she ultimately raised a point of order about that. When she raised that point of order with you, Mr Speaker, Mr Quinlan initially indicated he did not know what she was talking about, he did not know what remark was being referred to. I will quote what was said. The Speaker said:

What remark was made?

Mr Quinlan said:

Which one was that?

Mrs Burke said:

You know what it was Mr Quinlan.

Mr Quinlan then said:

No, you'll have to remind me, but if it's-did I call him a liar or something?

Mr Quinlan was very evasive about what was being said. Mrs Burke ultimately suggested that he had described me, the Chief Minister, as a bloody fool. Mr Quinlan rose very indignant and said:

Mr Speaker, I did not refer to the Chief Minister as a bloody fool.

And you, Mr Speaker, then called for some order and members proceeded to deal with other things. Mr Quinlan did, however, add slightly later on-and this is interesting:

I'm not having another MLA put words in my mouth.

Mr Speaker, someone has put words into his mouth. The Hansard has put words into his mouth, and those words are, and I quote from the draft Hansard circulated today:

Condescending, bloody woman.

Mr Speaker, earlier today this question was raised in this place, and Mr Quinlan was asked to withdraw the phrase. He denied having made it. He said it was not the phrase he used. Mr Speaker, I have been up to the Hansard suite and I have listened to the recording, as have a number of other members of this place. There were three words used. "Condescending" and "bloody" are quite distinct and quite clear. The word "woman" is admittedly somewhat less clear, but is nonetheless quite distinctly used, and it is a word also distinctly used about someone on this side of the chamber.

I was present at the time when the remark was made. I heard it. I saw Mr Quinlan's eyes; I saw Mr Quinlan's body-it was facing this side of the chamber, it was directed at this side of the chamber. Mrs Burke initially thought it was directed at me. Mr Quinlan appeared to deny that fact, and subsequently he indicated he made no such remark about me, particularly with respect to the phrase "bloody fool".

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