Page 760 - Week 02 - Thursday, 10 March 2011
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As Mr Hargreaves pointed out in his paper that he published last year or the year before, it is impossible for you to be the radical, to be the activist, to be yelling out unparliamentary behaviour from the floor and then have non-partisan rulings here. You have demonstrated that you are unable to do that.
No other Speaker in the western world tries to do that, and I think that it is arrogant in the extreme for you to attempt to do that. It is quite clear that you have done so unsuccessfully.
MR SPEAKER: Members, before the debate continues, I have just been advised that of course this is a dissent motion. That does not invite an entire discourse on the Speaker’s character. It should be about the ruling. I ask members to bear that in mind in further discussion.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Health and Minister for Industrial Relations) (3.04): I rise to support the words of my colleague Mr Corbell in opposing this motion by Mrs Dunne. I do find it surprising that the blame for the opposition’s behavioural problems, as I see it, over the last two years are being laid at your feet, Mr Speaker.
As the person that has attracted most of the heckling and jeering in this Assembly over the last two years, and the attention of the opposition, I can certainly say that in my almost 10 years in this place I have never experienced the harassment of other members that I think occurs in this chamber at this point in time. I think it is extremely disappointing that as our Assembly matures in age, the behaviour of this place becomes increasingly immature and gutter-like.
I am the one that stands in the majority of question times and receives 80 per cent of the questions—and I am very happy; that is my job—and I have been on the receiving end of the interjections as a regular occurrence where I cannot even hear myself think. The opposition’s behaviour has been appalling. You have been extremely patient in warning them, and I find it rather incredible that the serially warned Mr Hanson rises and takes part in this debate after admitting that his behaviour has led to the situation that we are debating here today.
MS LE COUTEUR (Molonglo) (3.06): I just want to speak very briefly. As well as being an MLA, I am also one of the Assistant Speakers. It really concerns me that as an Assembly we are not behaving in a way that would in any way inspire the confidence of our constituents, of the people of Canberra. We should be here seriously debating the serious issues for the ACT. We spend an awful lot of time shouting at each other and being what can only be described as impolite and rude. As a debating Assembly, I personally feel we can do a lot better.
I think that all of us should reflect on how we can have the highest standards in the Assembly and be something that people in the ACT look up to. Some of the descriptions of us in the ACT are very far from positive or parliamentary. I think it behoves all of us to think of how we can do the Assembly better—how we can follow standing orders, how we can treat our fellow MLAs with politeness, at the very least.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella) (3.07): Mr Speaker, I wish to speak also in the
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