Page 4339 - Week 10 - Thursday, 22 September 2011
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more to embarrass his leader, perhaps it is that they are very bad at politics, perhaps they have been poorly advised by some mental giant upstairs who thought this was politically astute or perhaps they have had such a bad week they thought they would go on the attack. This was the mentality of the British generals in 1916 at the Somme: “Over the top, whatever the cost. Over the top, we’ll get them.” But you have got to have a case or you fail. You have to have evidence or you fail. You must present facts or you fail. And it must be true or you fail.
Nothing I have said in my press release is inconsistent with what I said in the debate. It is interesting that after other privilege committees have been established, members have put out press releases but none of them was held in contempt of the committee. And from what Mr Seselja has said, apparently I am also possibly the subject of a reference to a privileges committee at some time. Bring it on. I look forward to that as well. I would love my day in the committee, as well you know, Mr Speaker. Bring this on.
But the problem here is, of course, that there is no case to answer. The problem here is whether the motion gets up or not, people will know this for what it is. It is a sham. Many members over the years have put out press releases—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order! One moment, Mr Smyth. Mr Hanson, I can hear you making those comments to Ms Le Couteur across the chamber. They are entirely inappropriate. You will have a chance to speak in a moment, if you wish. In the meantime, we will maintain a civil sense of order in the house. Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Members, there was one from Mrs Dunne about testing the water by establishing a privileges committee. There was a statement from a member after a privileges committee had been established. I have got somebody checking it.
We talk about civility. I think the rule was we got two hours warning of these censure motions. I had this tabled here in front of me 45 minutes before this started. Again, I wonder whether the rules apply to the Liberal Party or whether it is just rules for coalition colleagues.
But the problem here is that in the past the process has been very much that when a privileges committee is set up, the person that moves the motion puts out a press release. I will check whether Mr Wood put one out in 2001 when a privileges committee was established into one of Mr Humphries’ staffers. I have a recollection that it was.
But let us not let the facts get in the way here. This is actually politics. This is a Deputy Chief Minister who was either got into trouble for not supporting his leader on Tuesday or who is now attempting to support his leader. I think the line “methinks he doth protest too much” comes into this.
I just go back to the truth of this. When you have a censure motion, there should be a case. When you have the case, if you have a case, you should populate it with facts. If
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