Page 606 - Week 02 - Thursday, 6 March 2008
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MR SMYTH: Thank you, Mr Speaker, and I thank Mr Corbell for moving that extension.
I would actually like to thank a few people. My input to this committee would not have happened without my staff. In the course of the committee I moved amendments to something like 50 of the standing orders as they were presented. We had lots of suggestions and input on others of the amendments. I particularly thank Tim McGhie from my office, who is very good on this sort of procedure, who was in the original House of Assembly and who has watched the standing orders probably for longer than anybody in this place. I thank Tim for his input and I thank Amy in my office for her assistance.
To the Clerk and the staff: these are the guiding orders that help the Assembly run. I would like to compliment the Clerk and his staff on the enormous amount of effort and assistance they put into this process to ensure that the process went as smoothly as possible. As you pointed out, Mr Speaker, nobody will thank anybody for having done this. The fact that it has crossed two assemblies, I think, proves that. It is a shame that perhaps there was not more input but that is the way that it operates. But I think, for the outstanding administrative support and guidance given to all of us who sat on the committee on what standing orders do, how they operate and how they operate effectively, the Clerk and all his staff are to be congratulated. They did an outstanding job. I think the standing orders as presented today, even though I have not got everything that I wanted, are a big step forward from where we were.
To you, Mr Speaker, I would like to say congratulations on conducting this review, the way in which you drove it, the way in which you have conducted it and the way that it will culminate today. I think any criticism that it has taken too long may probably be a reflection on the input from members rather than on the Speaker and his office.
These things go out. We get revised editions. The committee opened and sent drafts of the standing orders to members. I am very pleased at the input that I got back. Some of the changes that I put forward are directly the work of Mrs Dunne, particularly the chapter on privilege. Mrs Burke had input. Others had input because they understood. I would like to thank my other colleagues for the input that they had.
But particularly to you, Mr Speaker, thank you for driving the notion. You are right: it is a thankless task. But I think the product that we have got, even though I would still like to change a few things, is a good product and should serve us well in the rest of this Assembly and will serve further assemblies which I intend to participate in very well. So, Mr Speaker, congratulations on what you have achieved today.
Amendment negatived.
Motion agreed to.
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