Page 2985 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 16 October 2007
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MR SPEAKER: My dictionary says “to fritter away one’s time on work that is unnecessary”. The work was determined by this Assembly and he was appointed. The committee was established by the Assembly and instructed to go away and do things. The committee itself then appointed the chair to chair the meetings of the committee which was instructed to go away and do things by the Assembly. I think there is an imputation, so I would ask you to withdraw it.
MRS DUNNE: On your ruling, Mr Speaker, the whole premise of my speech today has been that much of what the committee did does not relate to the terms of reference. If it does not relate to the terms of reference, perhaps the committee did fritter its time away on unnecessary work. Are you actually saying that to use the term “boondoggle” is unparliamentary?
MR SPEAKER: No, no. What I am saying is that you impute that the committee had no basis. Of course, it was decided by this Assembly that it should be established. I do not think you should use the word “boondoggle” for members in this Assembly who are appointed to do certain duties. I think it is unparliamentary. He was appointed by the Assembly, through the committee, to carry out the chair’s position. If you want to move a substantive motion against Mr Gentleman, that is another matter. But impugning people without a substantive motion is something we have never tolerated here. Withdraw the imputation.
MRS DUNNE: I withdraw it, Mr Speaker, but can I just seek your ruling: if there is a substantive motion against Mr Gentleman, am I allowed to use the term “boondoggle”?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, of course.
MRS DUNNE: Okay.
It being past 6.00 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted and the resumption of the debate was made an order of the day for the next sitting. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly was put.
Adjournment
Anti-Poverty Week
DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (6.02): Mr Speaker, I have been waiting all day and dying to give a speech on Anti-Poverty Week. I hope that that does not drop off the agenda, because it is a really important.
Mr Stanhope: It will not. We will bring it back tomorrow in private members’ business.
DR FOSKEY: I suspect an element of revenge in that, and I regret that. Nonetheless, I want to use the adjournment debate this time to talk about a report that arrived on my desk on Friday. No doubt it arrived on other people’s desks on the same day. I am sure that, in particular, the Ginninderra members will be most interested in this report
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