Page 633 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 22 February 2012
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The Canberra Liberals’ outrage on this matter might have some credibility if their own record was clean. So, Madam Assistant Speaker, it is worth reminding ourselves of some of their most recent behaviour. Before the opposition seeks to have this ruled out of order—
Mrs Dunne: Point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, the issue here is about the comments made by Mr Hargreaves. There is a substantive motion before the Assembly in relation to the comments of Mr Hargreaves in relation to older people, older citizens and the Tuggeranong Community Council. That is the substantive motion, and to go anywhere else would be lacking relevance and would be not in accordance with the standing orders.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Stop the clocks, please.
Mr Hargreaves: On the point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker, Mrs Dunne is very good at getting up, calling a point of order and going on for at least 30 seconds without the clock being stopped, and she is using up time. I ask you to bring her to order and stop the clock every time she stands up, please.
Mrs Dunne: Sorry, the standing orders are clear about the stopping of the clock. That is the call of the presiding officer at the time. Mr Hargreaves’s badgering about this all through question time and through this debate is unseemly.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you, members. Ms Burch, you have the floor, and I suggest that you refer principally to the motion.
MS BURCH: The rhetoric of the motion has come around to standards in this place and the need to be mindful and respectful of those that are not in this chamber. We have heard about the political argy-bargy. We have all got to be up front and take that. That has been the tone of the conversation from many in this room on this motion. So I would like to point out that at the heart of this motion are the standards that have been set in this Assembly by comments made by MLAs about third parties who do not have the opportunity to defend themselves.
This motion is about a member of this Assembly and how he should apologise to the Assembly and to a member of the community, or a sector of the community, for comments which have been made in this chamber. It is worth noting that some offensive commentary made by members of the opposition which has been deemed to be inappropriate is not worthy of retraction let alone an apology.
I remind you, Madam Assistant Speaker, of comments made by Mrs Dunne in a press conference in the courtyard on 21 November last year regarding care and protection workers when she accused them of “unconscionable behaviour”. Offensive and untrue, Madam Assistant Speaker.
Mr Seselja interjecting—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Seselja, please be quiet.
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