Page 5286 - Week 12 - Thursday, 28 October 2010
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MRS DUNNE: Minister, who is right in the assessment about the impact of the rising cost of childcare on young mothers’ participation in the workforce—you or the commonwealth Treasury?
MS BURCH: The only answer I would give to that is that it certainly would not be Mrs Dunne.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, under standing order 213 I move:
That Ms Burch table the document that she read from in answer to Mr Coe’s question.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Burch, are you happy just to table the document, or should I put the motion?
Ms Burch: No, I am not prepared to at this point.
MR SPEAKER: In that case—
Mr Coe: Andrew said yes, and Katy said no.
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Coe! The question then is that Ms Burch table the document she just quoted from in relation to the question she just answered. That is the question. Does anybody wish to speak to it?
MRS DUNNE: The standing orders in this place are quite clear that the Assembly can call for these things. Ms Burch made no secret of the fact that she was quoting from a document, which she attributed some authority to. She did not actually explain to members what the source of this authority was. It is standard practice in the Assembly to use the standing orders to enable the tabling of documents. If Ms Burch is not prepared to table the document, that indicates that there is something to hide, and I encourage members to support this motion to bring on the tabling of this document.
MS GALLAGHER: The government will not be agreeing to this motion. Ministers have a range of material made available, either through their own offices or through the departments, to support the proceedings at question time. When these matters have been raised before, we have taken the decision not to support motions like this. This is material made available to ministers to assist in question time. The minister has provided that advice to the Assembly, and there is no need to table any further document.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
MS BURCH: I table the following paper:
Childcare costs—briefing paper
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