Page 1300 - Week 04 - Thursday, 10 April 2008
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interest policy under the Hawke-Keating government, and the question was completely and inappropriately directed to him.
Mrs Dunne: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: the Treasurer of the ACT is someone who should have a grasp of the economic factors in relation to this. This is not a question about the policies; it is a question about the factors, and those factors are things that he should be aware of as the Treasurer of the ACT.
MR SPEAKER: It is a call for an expression of opinion and it therefore is out of order.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, on the point of order: this is not calling for an expression of opinion. This is calling for an exposition of the factors relating to inflation rates. He is the Treasurer. He does not have to express an opinion. There are classic economic texts that would refer to these things.
Members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order everybody! The Chief Minister and Treasurer is not responsible for federal interest rate policy either.
Mr Smyth: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: as Mrs Dunne said, the Chief Minister has spoken about this all week. The question was in relation to comments that the Chief Minister has made on Tuesday and Wednesday in this place. If he cannot back those comments up with his knowledge, that is fine, and if they are hiding from that, that is okay. But the preamble to the question clearly stated that this was based on his comments this week. He has introduced the matter to the Assembly; he should be able to answer the question.
Mr Corbell: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: the question was in relation to interest rate policy under the Hawke-Keating government.
Opposition members interjecting—
Mr Corbell: Fair crack of the whip, Mr Speaker. You can blame Jon Stanhope for a lot of things, if you like, but you can’t blame him for that.
MR SPEAKER: The question was about interest rate policy under the Hawke and Keating governments, which is not the responsibility of the Treasurer and Chief Minister.
Mr Smyth: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: I have ruled on it.
Mr Smyth: The question does not mention the word “policy”. It states an historic fact that the average interest rates under the Hawke-Keating governments were—
MR SPEAKER: I have ruled on the matter, Mr Smyth.
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