Page 1222 - Week 04 - Thursday, 4 May 2006
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Leave not granted.
Standing orders–suspension
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (3.31): I move:
That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent Dr Foskey from making a statement concerning the Greens vote at the 2004 election.
The reason that I am doing this, to the annoyance of certain people in the house, is that Mr Corbell clearly does not know and did not deliver the right information prior to the luncheon suspension. I wish to correct that.
Members interjecting—
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for Planning) (3.32): The government is quite happy for Dr Foskey to make—
MR SPEAKER: I assumed that you had finished speaking.
DR FOSKEY: I think it goes without saying that I would like the record to carry the true information.
MR CORBELL: Dr Foskey knows the norms of the house. If she feels that I have behaved in some way inappropriately she can move a substantive motion. Alternatively, she is quite welcome to raise these issues in the adjournment debate or table a document. But if she wants to make a statement she can do it in the adjournment debate. We have other business that we need to proceed with now. I know the issue has hit home, Dr Foskey, but that is not a reason to take up time at this moment. There are other avenues open to you. That is why the government will not support the suspension of standing orders.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (3.33): This is another important issue about the courtesy and norms that have been established in this place. I understand that the Assembly is paying good money to write a Legislative Assembly practice. At the time we are writing a Legislative Assembly practice so that we do not have to rely on the practice of other assemblies, we are throwing out the practice that has been established over the history of this place.
This is a continuation of what happened this morning; it is the bullies in charge of the playground. They will not grant leave because it is inconvenient. The norms of this place, the practice of this place and the courtesy of this place were that people were given leave to make statements. Dr Foskey asked for leave to make a statement, and it is the norm in this place that we give leave for short statements.
This is an entirely inappropriate commandeering of the courtesies of this place. Dr Foskey should be granted the courtesies that we have always afforded people in this place. It is because of the narrow-mindedness of the leader of the house that this is
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