Page 2666 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 23 June 2009
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the recommendations put forward by the estimates committee—that there should be enhanced funding for the Auditor-General’s Office.
Mr Corbell: And you are not going to vote for the funding. And you are not going to vote for it. You are not going to vote for it, are you?
MRS DUNNE: However, the leader of the house fails to understand, Mr Speaker—
Mr Corbell: You are not going to vote for it.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Corbell! Order, Mrs Dunne! Mr Corbell, you were heard in silence; let us give Mrs Dunne the same courtesy.
MRS DUNNE: The leader of the house fails to understand that it is impossible under the standing orders under the self-government act to change the appropriation one way or the other, in this line or any other line in the budget. It is pointless for the leader of the house to put forward this stunt in a way. He says he wants on the record what our views are. He was here and he heard it. What he is doing is wasting time.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (12.13): We will not be supporting the motion for the suspension of standing orders. We feel that we have a very long job ahead of us to get through this appropriation bill, and we feel that we need to get on with that job. I would like to say that I have been quite surprised that we have had a few votes this morning—probably about three or so—and I have not heard any word from the opposition about where they stand on those matters. There has been a silence; there has certainly not been a vote with the voices.
Mr Seselja: We are not backing the budget, Meredith.
MS HUNTER: They are saying that on Thursday they will not be passing the budget and therefore they do not need to get up on each line item and state where they stand on those particular items. I am surprised by that. Maybe it is because they will be changing their minds and voting a different way on Thursday, and they want to keep their options open; I am unsure. But really, at this stage, I just put forward that we do need to get on with a very large task. Therefore, we will not be supporting the suspension of standing orders.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (12.14), in reply: In response to Ms Hunter’s critique, all I would say is that the call of the Assembly will take about two minutes, so it is not a significant imposition. It has been the practice in this place on previous occasions, when a member has requested that a vote of the Assembly be taken, that the Assembly has permitted that, even though the standing orders say that it usually occurs only when there is dissent on the call.
That said, it is disappointing that we now have the Greens letting the Liberals off the hook—letting the Liberals off the hook because the Liberals do not have the courage of their convictions. The Liberals say, “We are not going to support the budget.” Then
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