Page 5502 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 November 2011
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This motion was brought on by Mrs Dunne, and my next series of quotes, Mr Speaker, go to the credibility of Mrs Dunne being able to put forward any such accusation about the Attorney-General. You need to understand that this is a view being expressed. If you believe that view, you may think it has some validity. I do not. Just before 5 o’clock on Tuesday, Mrs Dunne, in a discussion in this place regarding the Solicitor-General’s advice to the Minister for Community Services, said this:
What we had this morning was the government solicitor being asked to pull the government out of a hole by some fairly creative—
Mr Seselja: A point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, one moment, Mr Hargreaves, thank you. Stop the clocks.
Mr Seselja: The point of order is on relevance. What Mr Hargreaves is talking about has nothing to do with the matter at hand. The matter at hand is what Minister Corbell said in comparison to what the DPP said. It is highly inappropriate and highly irrelevant to be talking about a debate on a completely separate issue.
MR HARGREAVES: On the point of order, Mr Speaker, the usual convention in this place is that on motions of no confidence and motions of censure there is allowed a debate on whether the arguments coming forward have the credibility and validity to be put in this place in the first place. I would like the opportunity to advance that particular view.
Mr Seselja: On the point of order, Mr Speaker, just yesterday it was ruled in this place that it is not as wide ranging as Mr Hargreaves makes out. In fact, the opposition was forced to amend the motion in order to be able to talk in a more wide-ranging manner. If Mr Hargreaves wants to amend the motion, he should feel free, but he is not being relevant to the motion in front of us.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, I remind you to remain relevant to the motion. I assume the point you are making is going to become relevant to the specifics of the motion.
MR HARGREAVES: Yes, it is. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Essentially, this is censuring or attempting to censure the Attorney-General for misleading the house and misquoting a public official—namely, the Director of Public Prosecutions. I contend, Mr Speaker, that Mrs Dunne, who is bringing this motion forward, in fact has done just that herself within the last two days, and I wish to put that—
Mr Seselja: A point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR HARGREAVES: Excuse me.
Mr Seselja: On a point of order.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, one moment. Mr Hargreaves, he is allowed to—
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