Page 1797 - Week 05 - Thursday, 2 April 2009
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you tried to put the blame for your behaviour on the opposition. Minister, would you publicly and unreservedly apologise for your offensive comments.
MR BARR: Mr Speaker, I apologised yesterday if Mr Doszpot and Mr Seselja took personal offence in relation to the comments I made, but I do not resile from the other comment I made, and that was that the only ethnic slurs that have been occurring in this place in the last 72 hours have been perpetrated by the Liberal Party on British care and protection workers.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, a supplementary question?
Mr Stanhope: Quit your pommie bashing.
MR DOSZPOT: Mr Speaker, the minister has constantly deflected from the true nature of the question. We asked for an apology which, reluctantly—
MR SPEAKER: Mr Doszpot, no preamble, straight to the question.
Mr Stanhope: Pommie basher! Sit down, you pommie basher!
MR DOSZPOT: So now I’m a pommie basher?
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mrs Dunne, Mr Speaker, three or four times the Chief Minister called Mr Doszpot a pommie basher. It was obviously an attempt to be disorderly. It is an inappropriate use of language and unparliamentary. He should withdraw it.
Mr Stanhope: On the point of order, Mr Speaker, I am the child of English migrants in Australia, and I know a pommie basher when I see one. I have experienced as much pommie bashing as anybody. For Mr Doszpot to stand in this place and make puerile remarks and cry crocodile tears in relation to an alleged racial slur when he stood in this place this week and actually derided people of my heritage I think is just a little rich. To stand here and say that those of us that are attacked on the basis of our name—
Mr Smyth: What’s the point of order? This is not a point of order; it’s a speech. Sit down. This is a speech, Mr Speaker; it’s not a point of order.
MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister.
Mr Stanhope: I am a person of English heritage, and to stand here and pretend that what you have been doing is not pommie bashing is simply just a bit rich.
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker—
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Stanhope, resume your seat, thank you. Mr Stanhope, I invite you to withdraw the comments you are making across the chamber.
Mr Stanhope: Well, I do withdraw them, Mr Speaker, in deference to you.
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