Page 2016 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 25 June 2008
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The first issue was that the select committee on estimates report would not be tabled today, and neither would the government response to the committee report, and that a cognate debate would now eventuate tomorrow, being Thursday. The second advice on changes to the program was received by email on Tuesday the 24th at 2.23 pm:
Hi Jacqui,
Just to let you know the Assembly will be sitting late tomorrow night—
which is tonight—
so there will be a dinner break. Also Mr Gentleman’s Bill will now be the first Labor item up for debate (2nd in order)—
that is, in order of private members’ business—
and Ms MacDonald’s motion will now be the second Labor item (5th in order).
There was no mention at this time that the government were planning to pull a swiftie—namely, bump order of the day No 4, Mr Gentleman’s bill, up to executive business. I see Mr Corbell coming in with that usual arrogant smirk. The courtesy to tell us what was going on has always escaped the manager of government business, which is very unfortunate because there was no mention of what the government were prepared or about to do. Whether it was Mr Corbell’s fault or not I do not know. We will say that it was Ms MacDonald or a lack of communication between the manager of government business and the whip. In Mr Corbell’s motion, there was no mention at all of moving private members’ business up to executive business. I refer members to the blue:
Mr Corbell (Manager of Government Business) to move motion to suspend standing orders to call on Executive Business Order of the day No. 1 and Executive Business Order of the day No 2.
The third issue for the day—just when I thought the day could not get any worse—was this: on return from the dinner break, Mr Corbell’s motion was brought on to suspend standing orders. I have another email here. The emails were going backwards and forwards, but always a little bit too late and always a little bit vague, with Ms MacDonald trying to tell us very quickly—verbal arrangements. It really was disgraceful today.
I have to bring this to the attention of the house. I hope that Mr Corbell manages the whip a little better or that we replace the whip to get somebody who knows what they are doing. The government whip had not had the courtesy to advise the opposition that Ms Porter’s pair had been cancelled—whoever it was with, Ms Porter. If I got it wrong before, I apologise.
Ms Porter: I did not ask for a pair, Mrs Burke.
MRS BURKE: I was told you were the pair. So that is something else. Mr Hargreaves also at this stage had not taken his pair or had not left the house. I was then advised by the government whip, after the vote on the suspension of standing
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