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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 12 Hansard (18 November) . . Page.. 4204 ..

Mr Corbell (continuing):

Let's go back to what I asked: "Could we have the raw figures now and breakdown later this week?""No"said Mr Corbell-not, "Oh, sorry, would you repeat that"or "I didn't hear you?"He answered. We followed the discussion through. "Why not?""Well, because the government will make the decision when it announces and releases things."

Mr Speaker, it is quite clear that Mr Corbell has been found guilty of contempt. Contempt, on the advice my office has received from the Clerk of the House of Representatives, is a serious matter and not to punish it in a serious way downgrades the standing of this place. And that is what we are about to do. We are about to downgrade, we are about to undermine, the authority of the house.

I would ask members not to vote for this amendment. I do understand that it will probably get up and that is unfortunate because what we are about to do is undermine the standing of this house, and that, Mr Speaker, is a continuation down the slippery slope of lowest common denominator standards started by the Chief Minister.

Amendment agreed to.

MR SPEAKER: The question now is that Mr Smyth's motion, as amended, be agreed to.

MR SMYTH (Leader of the Opposition) (3.18): Mr Speaker what we do is important in this place. Mr Quinlan made reference to headlines about the house of farce, and he is right. It is important that a house of assembly, a house of parliament in a jurisdiction, is held in high regard by the people-

Mrs Dunne: Point of order, Mr Speaker: the level of noise from the other side makes it very hard to hear or keep your train of thought.

Mr Quinlan: Oh, you are kidding.

Mr Hargreaves: Oh, what?

Mr Quinlan: From you-this from you?

MR SPEAKER: Order, I can't hear what Mrs Dunne is saying.

Mrs Dunne: That just reinforces my point of order, Mr Speaker. I can't hear what Mr Smyth is saying and I doubt that anyone else who is interested in what Mr Smyth is saying can hear because of both the level of conversation and interjection from the other side.

MR SPEAKER: Point taken. Order members! Mr Smyth has the floor.

MR SMYTH: Mr Speaker, in his speech, Mr Quinlan referred to the headline "House of Farce"that I think we have all seen. Assemblies and parliaments and various houses, upper and lower, earn the respect of their constituents through the good law that they pass, through the standing of their members, through their openness and accountability.

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