Page 3014 - Week 07 - Thursday, 30 June 2011
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MR SPEAKER: I cannot remember the numbers. It is not a skill I have in life. Mr Smyth, under standing order 113B the Speaker may allow two further supplementary questions from other non-executive members. In this case I opted not to.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Hargreaves: Mr Speaker, that was an imputation against the chair, when Mr Smyth said “That’s because the Chief Minister told you.” I ask you to ask him to withdraw.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, I invite you to withdraw the imputation, Mr Smyth.
Mr Smyth: I withdraw.
Supplementary answers to questions without notice
Legislative Assembly—accommodation
Legislative Assembly—volunteers
Minister for Community Services
MR SPEAKER: In question time yesterday Dr Bourke asked me questions concerning details of any requests for additional office accommodation or space from MLAs and their officers, what the stated purpose or the need for those additional spaces or renovations was and what my response to them was. Ms Porter then asked a supplementary question asking me to table any documents relating to such requests, and Mr Hargreaves asked a supplementary about which members approached me for additional space or resources for volunteers.
I am aware of three instances where requests have been made by members’ offices for further office accommodation. Details of those instances in chronological order are as follows.
Firstly, shortly after being elected by the Assembly as Speaker in November 2008, I considered what arrangements might be possible to enable the four new elected ACT Greens to have access to a party room. I recall there were discussions held at the time with the government whip which recognised that the ALP would be amenable to holding its party meetings in the cabinet room, and accordingly the room on level 1 previously allocated to the government as its party room was made available as a party room for the four Greens MLAs. There are no documents relating to this matter.
Secondly, in early 2009 my office and the Secretariat participated in discussions initiated by the chief of staff of the Leader of the Opposition concerning accommodation for staff and volunteers in Canberra Liberal MLAs’ offices. I am advised that some of the substantive issues that were considered as part of those discussions included the possible removal of office partitions to provide greater flexibility and space utilisation, a proposal that the opposition be given access to the
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