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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 4415 ..

MR SPEAKER: You raised as a point of order something which was ruled not to be a point of order and you asked a question of the Chief Minister. I think I heard the Deputy Chief Minister interject, "Is that your question?"and you said yes.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, it has often been the case in this place that members have asked ministers to table documents that they have either read from or referred to. Members of this place have often asked ministers to table a document that they read from or referred to in the course of their answer. Speakers have never treated such a request as a question which uses up a member's entitlement to ask a question in question time. I would ask, therefore, that you allow me to ask the question which is my entitlement in question time today.

MR SPEAKER: I refer you to standing order 113A, which says:

Questions without notice shall not be concluded until all non-Executive Members rising have asked at least one question.

I have taken it, and my understanding was that you took it, that you were asking a question.

MR HUMPHRIES: No, I didn't, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: I have taken it that everybody has asked a question. The Chief Minister has asked that further questions be placed on the notice paper. If you want to ask another question, you will have to obtain leave.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to ask a question in this place.

Mr Stanhope: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: I think the record needs to show, and it needs to show quite clearly, that Mr Humphries stood and asked a question. I asked Mr Humphries-

Mrs Dunne: No, he didn't. He stood to take a point of order.

Mr Stanhope: No, and the Hansard will have recorded that. Just be careful of what you say. Mr Humphries knows what he said. Mr Humphries knows what I said. Mr Humphries stood and took a point of order. He then asked a question. I asked, "Is that your question?"Mr Humphries, standing on his feet, answered yes.

I then said, and this will be recorded in the Hansard, "If that is your question, this is my answer,"and the question was answered. I am happy to give Mr Humphries leave to ask a question, but I want the record to be quite clear that Mr Humphries is now asking a second question.

This is a question of crying wolf. You have a smart alec attitude to questions. How many times have you stood after all questions have been asked and tried to ask a second question or a supplementary question? You are doing it now. You are hoist with your own petard and you are still playing these ridiculous, absurd, undergraduate games. I just think that the record needs to show that.

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