Page 3487 - Week 09 - Thursday, 20 August 2009
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Mr Corbell: You cannot make imputations of improper behaviour.
MR SESELJA: If I can proceed?
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Can we start again?
MR SESELJA: I am happy to.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, please go on.
MR SESELJA: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. Let the facts speak—
Mr Corbell: Madam Assistant Speaker, I am sorry, but Mr Seselja has not withdrawn his most recent comments. He should be asked to do so.
MR SESELJA: I withdraw the imputation.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you.
MR SESELJA: Madam Assistant Speaker, we will let the facts speak for themselves. Are we allowed to do that, Mr Corbell? Will you let the facts speak for themselves? Is that going to be acceptable in debate? I mean, you really are ridiculous.
Mr Corbell has performed so poorly, not just in question time today, but all this week trying to hide things and trying to stand in front of ministers answering questions. Minister Barr does not have the courage to come down, and what we are saying is, “Come and defend it. Come and defend your statement in this letter versus what happened.” That is what we are saying. We are saying that the facts speak for themselves. People will draw their conclusions, which we are unable to draw in this place, but people will draw their conclusions.
Mr Corbell: Just move a motion, Zed. Move a motion.
MR SESELJA: Well, we may. We may, but we are giving Mr Barr the opportunity to come and give his side of the story and he refuses. He refuses to come down now and put his argument as to why he wrote this letter. He will not do it and we have to question why. Why doesn’t he want to defend his behaviour? Why does he have to send Mr Corbell out instead to raise points of order instead of defending it? We believe that this letter was inappropriate. It was a breach of the ministerial code of conduct, and it is now up to Mr Barr to actually come down and explain himself. If he cannot explain himself, then we reserve the right to move these motions which definitely will call into question his motives in this matter.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (4.04): Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker.
Mr Seselja: Haven’t you already given a speech?
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