Page 5425 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 16 November 2011
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MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (4.18): I rise to both echo some of the comments Ms Hunter has already made and explore the standards that we wish to apply in this place. Ms Hunter has quoted from the ministerial code of conduct and has correctly identified that at times, as we are all human beings, we will make mistakes. There will be times when the advice and the research we have are perhaps later shown to be incorrect, that there is something more up to date or simply that a mistake has been made.
The minister, in coming into the chamber today and seeking to rectify the record at the earliest opportunity, has fulfilled the requirements of the ministerial code of conduct and acted with integrity. That is why the Greens will not be supporting this censure motion today. I think all members of this place would recognise that there are times when we wish that we had expressed something differently. The fact is that the minister did come in and rectify the record. If it took a bit of digging from Mr Coe to work that out and for the department to go back and ask the questions again, so be it; these things will happen from time to time.
I think the question we have to ask is: what standard do we want to apply? Mr Seselja put the question: how low are the standards? He alluded to repeated comments. But I would like to explore Mr Seselja’s own behaviour on this front, because Mr Seselja has issued a press release again today in which he uses a figure relating to the feed-in tariff—
Mr Coe: A point of order, Mr Assistant Speaker.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Hargreaves): Mr Rattenbury, resume your seat, please. Stop the clock. Mr Coe, on a point of order.
Mr Coe: I ask whether Mr Rattenbury’s comments about Mr Seselja are relevant to the debate.
Mr Barr: On the point of order, Mr Assistant Speaker, the amendment covers any other matter.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Through Mr Hanson’s amendments Mr Rattenbury has now got as much latitude as “and other matters” would allow.
Mr Coe: On your point of order, it is actually regarding any other matter of Simon Corbell.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you very much, Mr Coe, but if it is just slack drafting I cannot help that. The matter is the way it is in the amendment, so I am sorry about that. Mr Rattenbury.
MR RATTENBURY: Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. To reassure members, what I actually want to explore here is the standard of behaviour which this chamber wants to hold members to, and I am coming quickly to that so that those on the opposite side do not get too distressed. But Mr Seselja has repeatedly used a figure when it comes
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