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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 01 Hansard (Tuesday, 10 February 2004) . . Page.. 2 ..

Deputy clerk and serjeant-at-arms—appointment

MR SPEAKER: I wish to advise the Assembly that Mr Max Kiermaier has been appointed to the position of deputy clerk and serjeant-at-arms of the Assembly.

Privilege

Statement by Speaker

MR SPEAKER: Members, on 14 January 2004, Mr Hargreaves gave written notice of a breach of privilege or a possible contempt in respect of the release of a flyer relating to a matter before the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment. In his letter, Mr Hargreaves provided a copy of a flyer that, he claimed in his letter, had been circulated by the chair of the committee, Mrs Vicki Dunne MLA.

Under the provisions of standing order 71, I must determine as soon as practicable whether the matter merits precedence over other business. In doing so, I have to consider whether the issue is one of substance and is supported by the facts as presented. If, in my opinion, the matter does merit precedence, I must inform the Assembly of the decision, and the member who raised the matter may move a motion without notice forthwith to refer the matter to a select committee appointed by the Assembly for that purpose. As Speaker, I am not required to judge whether there has been a breach of privilege or a contempt of the Assembly. I can only judge whether a matter merits precedence.

Having considered the flyer and Mr Hargreaves’s complaints, I am prepared to allow precedence to a motion to refer the matter to a select committee that would deal with it.

Privileges—Select Committee

Appointment

MR HARGREAVES (10.32): I move:

That:

(1) pursuant to standing order 71, a Select Committee on Privileges 2004 be appointed to inquire and report on whether the actions of the Chair of the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment with regard to the distribution of a flyer in her name at the Belconnen Markets did constitute a contempt of the Assembly through improper interference in the work of the Standing Committee on Planning and Environment;

(2) the Committee be composed of:

(a) one Member to be nominated by the Government;

(b) one Member to be nominated by the Opposition; and

(c) one Member to be nominated by a Member of the ACT Greens, the Australian Democrats or the Independent Member;

to be notified in writing to the Speaker by 4.00 pm today; and

(3) the Committee report by the first sitting day in April 2004.

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