Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 2 Hansard (6 March) . . Page.. 656 ..

MRS DUNNE (continuing):

There has been a constant barrage from this Chief Minister because he is discomfited by the fact that people have concerns about how this process is being handled. His only way of doing anything in this place is to come in with a low attack and misrepresent the views of people who are trying to get things done.

MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, you are debating the issue. I think you should stick to the reasons why you want standing orders suspended.

MR WOOD (Minister for Disability, Housing and Community Services, Minister for Urban Services, Minister for the Arts and Heritage and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (4.05): Moving a censure motion is a serious issue that needs to be facilitated where it is appropriate. On what I have heard and on the debate over the last week or two, the government sees no grounds for such a motion.

There is no paperwork before us. There is no list of details of what this censure might be about. While we regard facilitation where appropriate important, in this circumstance absolutely no case has been demonstrated, and the government will not be supporting the suspension of standing orders.

MS TUCKER (4.06): I have walked in a bit late on this, but I have picked up that you want to suspend standing orders to censure the Chief Minister for misrepresenting the Liberals. I am not prepared to debate this now. If you want to debate it, I am not going to support it, because I will have to read through reams of exceedingly tedious Hansard. As I sit here in this chamber all the time-maybe it is a skill I have learnt as a mother-I shut out unnecessary and tedious noise. I do not listen to a lot of the crap that goes on, so I will have to read every single bit of Hansard to work out whether or not there has been a misrepresentation. I am not going to have time to do that now. I have more important things to do anyway, so I will not support the motion.

MR SPEAKER: And you are usually a stickler for using parliamentary language.

MS TUCKER: Was I unparliamentary? Is "crap"unparliamentary? I was being restrained. I will withdraw it if it offends people. I withdraw "crap".

MR SPEAKER: Whether or not it is appropriate is for somebody else to judge, but it is unparliamentary.

MS TUCKER: If someone is offended, please stand up and say so and I will withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: It is not a question of whether anybody is offended.

MR STEFANIAK (4.07): Mr Speaker, it is terribly important in this place that members do not consistently say something that is blatantly wrong and blatantly inaccurate.

Mr Quinlan: How long ago did you say something blatantly inaccurate, Bill?

MR STEFANIAK: Blatantly misleading as well. It has caused angst already in the community. We have heard already that one member of the task force, Mr Snow, has

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .