Page 705 - Week 02 - Thursday, 23 February 2012
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Ms Gallagher: No, I haven’t.
MR HANSON: My understanding is that last night she was the government whip, and if she has to take it upon herself then she needs to explain—
Ms Gallagher: Yes, because where were you, Jeremy? Napping?
MR HANSON: You see: more invective. I am moving this motion, and what we hear is invective. What we hear from Katy Gallagher is more sniping across the Chamber. What you will hear from Katy Gallagher today is that this is somehow a Liberal conspiracy; this is somehow the Liberal’s fault; this is perhaps Alistair Coe’s fault. I remind you that it was not Alistair Coe who wrote this note; it was John Hargreaves who recklessly decided that he was going to write a note ridiculing Andrew Barr based on his sexuality, walk across the Chamber and give it to a Liberal Party member. It is John Hargreaves who needs to explain that bizarre and disgraceful behaviour. It is not for the Liberal Party to explain that.
If Katy Gallagher or any of the Labor members or perhaps their Greens allies gets up in this place today and says: “That’s okay. We don’t mind John Hargreaves doing that. We think it’s okay that he conduct that sort of behaviour on the back of his attacks on the Tuggeranong Community Council, on the back of his sexist attacks on Vicki Dunne, on the back of his DUI, on the back of his behaviour where he had to apologise to Ms Bresnan. We think that’s okay. That’s excusable, and he should continue on as Assistant Speaker,” that will show the low depths this government has reached.
Just as we are seeing the division between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd and the factions that are squabbling federally, what we are seeing here is a very clear example of the animosity within the ACT Labor Party. Andrew Barr will get up and, probably through gritted teeth, have to defend his member, because there are factional masters. Just as we saw up until the events of last night all the Labor hacks up on the hill saying, “There’s nothing to see here; there are no problems internally; we all love each other,” this is what you are going to see here on a local basis.
Mr Speaker, I think my point has been made. I do not think there is a need to continue further, because this is a very clear decision for this Assembly and for Mr Hargreaves. He said last night that he respects this place. This is a chance for him to show that respect. If he respects the traditions of this place, if he respects this Assembly and its credibility in the community then he must acknowledge that the very reasons he stood down as government whip are the very same reasons why he should stand down as Assistant Speaker. If he is prepared to stand up there and preside over place telling us what is acceptable behaviour or not, it is quite clear the community will look at this place and say, “How could it be that someone like John Hargreaves has the support of the rest of the MLAs to sit there and preside over the Assembly?” I think that is a fair question.
This goes to all of our credibility and not just to that of John Hargreaves. If we allow him to stay in that chair then the community will say, “You bunch are a joke, because
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