Page 962 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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It goes to show just how close and how alive and well this alliance is between the Labor Party and the Greens when Mr Hargreaves moves the suspension of standing orders because the Greens cannot get their act together. What a performance it was, Mr Hargreaves having to do the Greens’ work because they do not know how to do it. On top of that, in the middle of it, he could not put aside the differences in the Labor Party long enough to resist slapping his own factional colleague because things are not going as well in the Labor preselection as he might like, and it was on display for everyone in the ACT to see just how fractious the Labor right is in the ACT. We saw it here today, and the thing is that it does actually go to show just where the power lies.
Mr Hargreaves: On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, the question before the house is that standing orders be suspended. Mrs Dunne is wandering off down to wonderland and back. Could you please bring her back to the subject of the motion?
Mr Seselja: On the point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, Mr Hargreaves in his speech—maybe we could stop the clock.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, stop the clock.
Mr Seselja: In his speech, Mr Hargreaves was not only calling the other side all sorts of names and wandering well off topic, but he also had a go at his own colleague. Now Mrs Dunne is responding to that. He was going well beyond the motion, and he was not brought to order. I think Mrs Dunne is entitled to respond to some of what Mr Hargreaves had to say and some of the extraordinary division that was exposed when he had a go at his own colleague, Andrew Barr, in the debate.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: The point of order is upheld, because I do not think that Mr Hargreaves is the one that brought up that particular subject. Would you continue, Mrs Dunne, but stay on the subject of the actual motion.
MRS DUNNE: The standing orders should not be suspended, because we have a system that is already in place. The member has already spoken; she spoke to her amendment; she moved her amendment and then had second thoughts. We have got Mr Hargreaves, who is trying to flex his muscles and show just how tough he is around the place. Obviously, he is tougher than some people think, because when he did have his little bit to say, Mr Barr shut up like a trap. So I do rather wonder where the power does lie in the Labor Party at the moment.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Stick to the subject, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: The thing is that standing orders should not be suspended. There is a process in place, and Ms Bresnan has been here long enough to learn it.
Question put:
That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent Ms Bresnan from again addressing the Assembly.
A division being called and the bells being rung—
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