Page 1019 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 2012
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Mrs Dunne: Can I seek your guidance? The rules about waving newspapers and the like around, I thought they were considered props and not appropriate for—
Mr Hargreaves: On the point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mrs Dunne: It is not a point of order. I am seeking guidance.
Mr Hargreaves: On the request for guidance, Mr Speaker, the minister merely held the paper in his hand and read a quote from it. He did not wave it about. So there is no question before the chair.
MR SPEAKER: I think that Mr Hargreaves has summed it up. If the minister was parading that around, that would breach the rule that you are speaking about, Mrs Dunne, but I think that simply quoting from it is considered to be appropriate. Minister Bourke, did you have anything further to add?
DR BOURKE: I think that is enough.
Members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order! I cannot hear. Ms Bresnan, are you seeking a supplementary? Yes, you have the call.
MS BRESNAN: Minister, will any potential dangers related to exposure from asbestos be considered before making a decision about whether or not to reopen the school?
DR BOURKE: I thank the member for her question. All potential dangers will be considered with regard to Taylor primary school before the children go back. The care and safety of our children is my primary concern.
Schools—weapons
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the minister for education. Minister, yesterday in question time you were asked on what date the police investigation into the matter of a weapon in a Canberra school was completed. Your response was:
That was on the 14th of February.
You later stated you misunderstood the question but you did not provide the answer. In a radio interview with Mike Welsh on radio 2CC on 8 March 2012, you said:
The police are involved.
Elsewhere in the interview, you were asked:
Welsh: “So it’s a police issue, is it?
Minister: “Indeed it is.”
Welsh: “And nothing to do with the ... Education Minister of the day?”
Minister: “No. I said it’s a police matter.”
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