Page 5705 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
Mr Smyth: Just on the point of order, I will read the standing order in full:
A document quoted from—
which is what the minister did—
by a Member may be ordered by the Assembly to be presented; the order may be made without notice immediately upon the conclusion of the speech of the Member who has quoted from the document.
She quoted from a document. Under the standing orders, I am entitled to ask. I would now ask that the member table the document in accordance with the standing orders.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, you actually need to move a motion.
Mr Smyth: I will in a moment.
Mr Corbell: On the point of order, I note that the convention of this place, and indeed as is outlined in the members handbook, is that if ministers are referring to private notes then that is a convention that has been respected in this place. It was established by previous Assemblies that private notes should not be captured by the provisions of this standing order, and that has been the convention of this place. Even though, technically, the document can be ordered, the convention in this place is that it will not be ordered because it is private notes of the minister.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, on the point of order.
Mr Seselja: The minister is now making up conventions. The standing order is crystal clear. Mr Smyth has availed himself of the standing order. It is exactly for this kind of thing, where a minister is claiming something and having a go at another member. She should therefore be asked to table it. We can understand why she does not want to table it, but the standing order is crystal clear. She should now table the document she was quoting from.
MR SPEAKER: Members, my understanding is that this is not a decision for the Speaker. This is a decision for the chamber. What will happen now is that I will invite Mr Smyth to move a motion and the Assembly can debate that motion, if it wishes, and the Assembly can then vote on that motion as it wishes.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (2.45): I move:
That Ms Gallagher (Minister for Health) table the document she was quoting from.
Mr Speaker, the standing orders are quite clear, and we just cannot stand in this place and make interpretations as Mr Corbell attempted to do. If Mr Corbell goes back to the Companion to the Standing Orders, he may find that what I have asked for is entirely within order. From my view here they are printed notes in the Chief Minister’s question time briefing folder. They are not private notes that the Chief Minister has made. They are not notes that, from what I can see of them here, have
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video