Page 1501 - Week 04 - Thursday, 25 March 2010
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would like to seek advice from the ethics adviser and elsewhere. There is a view that you, Mr Speaker, should take the opportunity to seek advice where you will. The Canberra Liberals are happy to join with the Greens in adjourning this matter. In doing so we will not bring on Mr Smyth’s motion in Assembly business until this matter has been resolved. We believe it will take some days, maybe weeks, to resolve this. As part of the process we are taking up the suggestion from Ms Hunter that later in the day there will be a motion brought forward about a way forward in seeking advice. The Canberra Liberals are happy to agree to the adjournment of this matter. We will see how the second stage of the process will resolve itself later in the day with the motion.
We do not resile from the issue that brought forward my motion—that there is a clear conflict. We believe that the members named in the motion should avail themselves of the time to seek advice from the ethics adviser about whether or not they have a conflict. I need to restate that in saying that we believe someone has a conflict we are not saying that they have done something wrong; we are stating that they have a conflict and that conflict must be addressed. It is not fair for Mr Corbell to classify it, as he did, that we are besmirching people’s names and reputations. We are saying that there is a conflict, and that is simply the case. I thank members for their cooperation. We look forward to a resolution of this on another day.
It being 45 minutes after the commencement of Assembly business, the debate was interrupted in accordance with standing order 77. Ordered that the time allotted to Assembly business be extended by 30 minutes.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, Minister for Energy and Minister for Police and Emergency Services) (11.34), by leave: Mr Speaker, what we have seen today is a farce. I have never seen the Assembly shut down in the middle of a sitting because two parties cannot decide what it is they want to do. The Greens and the Liberals are all over the shop on this issue. They have brought a new level of farce to the Assembly today by deciding to shut down the Assembly itself while they try and work it out.
Mr Seselja: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, I understood that it was your decision to suspend the Assembly for 10 minutes. It appears that Mr Corbell is reflecting on your ruling and I would ask you to bring him to order.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Corbell. I know that we are in unusual circumstances, but perhaps we can avoid the inflammatory—
MR CORBELL: I am not reflecting on your ruling. I am simply saying, Mr Speaker, that it is a farce for the Assembly to conduct its business in this way. Mr Speaker, I understand your comments. We will not be supporting the adjournment today. Ms Bresnan is on the record in this place less than half an hour ago as saying that this motion by Mrs Dunne has no merit and should not be supported. Ms Bresnan said that less than half an hour ago. She has now changed her mind and wants to refer it off to some strange and ambiguous process that has no standing in this place. By referring it off to some strange, ambiguous process, a cloud will hang over Mr Barr and
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