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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Thursday, 1 April 2004) . . Page.. 1495 ..

MR SPEAKER: It is really a matter for you, Mr Smyth, pursuant to standing order 71.

MR SMYTH: I shall write to you, Mr Speaker. It really does confirm the plot that Mrs Dunne talks about in the second last paragraph of the article in the Canberra Times this morning. The plot has been revealed: “I’ll downgrade if you quit.” No such deal was offered for Mr Corbell, I remember. I seek an extension of time, Mr Speaker.

Leave not granted.

Suspension of standing and temporary orders

Motion (by Mr Smyth) agreed to, with the concurrence of an absolute majority.

That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent Mr Smyth having an extension of time.

MR SMYTH I thank members. The plot has been revealed. There is some horse trading going on here.

Mr Corbell: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Smyth moved a motion for the suspension of standing orders and he needs now to move the substantive motion.

MR SPEAKER: The standing orders have been suspended to enable him to have an extension of time. I think we would be doing it twice, Mr Corbell.

Mr Corbell: My apologies.

MR SPEAKER: And my apologies, because I contributed to that confusion.

MR SMYTH: I am happy to move it again, Mr Speaker. I thank members for the extension. The horse trading has been revealed. When Mrs Cross moved an amendment to downgrade the motion of no confidence to one of grave concern for Mr Corbell, I do not recall that there was an offer or an expectation that Mr Corbell would stand aside. I do not remember Mrs Cross saying, “I’ll do this for you if you will now stand aside as minister.” I think that we have here a very serious situation brought about by Mrs Cross. Mr Speaker, I will be taking the opportunity under standing order 71 to write to you to ask whether the precedence is such and whether or not there is a contempt in that. I will also be getting advice as to whether it is a breach of the crimes against the government act.

Mr Speaker, the report delivered by Ms Tucker on behalf of her committee has sought balance. The report provides a way forward. It says, “Look, there is a contempt. We find contempt.” The Assembly obviously is accepting of that. It does say that there should be no further action, given what has happened, but it does offer a way forward in that it says that we all have to be aware and we all need the assistance of the secretariat, the training, our peers and the committee members so that we understand our roles and functions.

This is a very small Assembly and I do not recall this sort of conflict having arisen in the 15 years of its operation, but I suspect that many of us probably have sailed fairly close

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