Page 856 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2012
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by Mr Hargreaves. And it is ironic that he is now the victim of that petty, churlish political game that he was playing.
As we are aware, in the previous sitting period Mr Hargreaves was forced to resign as the government whip because of his continued inappropriate behaviour, in regard to both his comments to the Tuggeranong Community Council and the bizarre note that he passed to Mr Coe, which was at Mr Barr’s expense. We know that he had to then resign as the government whip, in effect then, removing him from the position of being able to sit on the admin and procedure committee.
Mr Hargreaves: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, I have listened for quite a while, and I thought that Mr Hanson might attack me for a while and then get on to the substance of the motion, which is not about me, it is about Ms Porter. So could you ask the so-called honourable member to actually come to the point please.
MR HANSON: On the point of order, Mr Speaker, I certainly will be coming to the appointment of Ms Porter. However, I think it is relevant to point out to members of the chamber why it is that this is occurring and why it is that Ms Porter is being appointed to the committee.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Hanson, I have given you some latitude up to this point, but I think the point has been made. You could move on to the substance of the motion, thank you.
MR HANSON: Certainly. So we will support today’s motion. I just think it is an appropriate thing to point out that the Labor Party are in continued turmoil, as they are now scrambling to find someone that can sit on this committee because of Mr Hargreaves’s behaviour, his actions, in both deciding and pushing a position that only whips can sit on it and then having himself in a position where he had to resign as a whip. We now have the very unsatisfactory position where Ms Porter is the only essentially eligible backbencher for the Labor Party. She now chairs committees, sits on committees, is Deputy Speaker and sits on an additional committee while Mr Hargreaves sits up on the backbench doing sweet nothing, in a comparative sense.
I just wanted to point out the irony to the members sitting here, and particularly to Mr Hargreaves, who stands up in such a pious and pompous manner on so many occasions, that this is now coming home to roost at his feet.
MR HARGREAVES (Brindabella) (10.50): Never let a chance go by, according to Bob Hudson in the Newcastle Song. Mr Hanson has made an accusation about me personally, and I think I am entitled to at least the five minutes that he took to slash me to pieces to return the favour. We moved the motion—
Mr Hanson: On a point of order, Mr Hargreaves said he was going to stand up with the intent of slashing me to pieces. I ask whether that is relevant to the debate at hand. My points were directly relevant to the issue why Ms Porter was being appointed to this committee. I do not think that standing up to declare at the beginning of a speech that your intent is to slash the opposition spokesman to pieces would indicate that he is actually going to say anything relevant to this debate.
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