Page 1232 - Week 04 - Thursday, 4 May 2006
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The motion, as Mr Smyth rightly said, does not exist yet. He is using an opportunity to play fast and loose with the standing orders and the practice of this place.
Mr Smyth rightly said that Mr Corbell is using the standing orders to, almost retrospectively, make his position and his amendment valid when his amendment is invalid. It does not comply with the standing orders. If he wishes to move this motion he should have suspended the standing orders to do so. I would welcome his attempt to suspend standing orders to do so.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella—Minister for the Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Housing and Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (4.09): Mr Speaker, I disagree with the opposition that your ruling should be dissented from. All we are seeing here at the moment is the opposition running exactly the same argument they have run all day; they have not put any substance to their objection to your ruling at all. Let us look at the actual bits that are salient to this issue. Standing order 225 says:
Every committee, before proceeding to other business, shall elect a Presiding Member and a Deputy Presiding Member.
It does not say from whom. Mr Corbell’s motion delineates the will of the Assembly about the criteria to nominate. The Assembly itself, through the passage of a vote, will determine which members will do that. This is a legitimate thing to be put before the Assembly. It is an opportunity for the Assembly to express its will. Mr Smyth is seeking, through dissenting from your ruling, Mr Speaker, to deny the Assembly, this forum, an opportunity to express its view.
I also point out to members that, in the absence of other things, we follow House of Representatives Practice, which we have seen thrown across the chamber like a brick. Page 639 of House of Representatives Practice—I will hold it up for those people who did not see it; it is the green book—under the headings of “Chair” and “election”, says:
Standing order 232(a) provides that: ‘Before the start of business, a committee shall elect a government member as its Chair.’
Mr Smyth: That’s their standing order. Our standing order doesn’t say that.
MR HARGREAVES: I draw the Leader of the Opposition’s attention to comments I made earlier on in this particular debate when I quoted standing order 225, and now I am quoting standing order 232 (a) from House of Representatives Practice. The fact is that the standing orders are a reflection of the will of this Assembly. That is a reflection of the will of this Assembly. Mr Smyth’s assertion that we should dissent from the opportunity for this chamber—
Mr Pratt: Nice try—fail. Every committee will elect is own president.
MR HARGREAVES: Well, when you are the deputy chairman, you can have a say. In the meantime, zips are very handy for not only the fly, you know. On the top end of your face, that bit under the nose, a big zip would be a good idea. You are floundering around like a trout. Have a look at House of Representatives Practice. It says:
Before the start of business, a committee shall elect a government member as its Chair.
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