Page 4358 - Week 10 - Thursday, 22 September 2011
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in here—what had been endorsed in here by a majority of members. And why we are here today is because this government is floundering around.
Let us look down the row. The Chief Minister on Tuesday was dispatched to a privileges committee. Last week Minister Burch, the Minister for Community Services, had to institute an inquiry into her department because of breaches of the law. Mr Corbell got himself thrown out last night for extraordinarily bad behaviour. Mr Hargreaves has just been cranky all week. And on top of that, a whole lot of things—
Mr Hargreaves: On a point of order, Mr Speaker—
MR SPEAKER: Stop the clocks, thank you.
Mr Hargreaves: that has got to be not only laughable but also an insult to me. I get cranky in this place but this week wasn’t it. How can you call somebody like me, a sweet old man like me, cranky?
MR SPEAKER: I believe that, under the standing orders, if Mr Hargreaves has taken offence he is entitled to ask that it be withdrawn.
MRS DUNNE: I withdraw.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: Even though it does appear to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
MR SPEAKER: Let us proceed with the discussion.
MRS DUNNE: What we have in addition to this is that the government are in a situation where a whole lot of things that they do not want to happen have been forced upon them. There is an inquiry into their failed supermarket policy. They are just a whole lot of unhappy campers—
Mr Corbell: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, I accept that there is some latitude in this debate but it does not lend itself to a full-blown critique of everything that Mrs Dunne thinks is wrong with the government. She has to remain relevant in some way to the issue before the chair, which is whether Mr Smyth’s behaviour warrants censure or not.
Mr Seselja: On the point of order, Mr Speaker, you have already ruled that this is wide ranging. It is always wide ranging. Mr Barr was allowed to make ridiculous assertions about Mr Smyth’s behaviour that had nothing to do with this debate and we are quite entitled to go to the dodgy motivations of this government in bringing this censure here today. A censure is a serious thing. They should be able to take whatever comes back at them if they are going to throw unfounded allegations across the chamber.
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