Page 943 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2012
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or a censure motion of Mr Hanson for his wilful and repeated abuse of standing orders 37, 39, 61 and 202(a), (d) and (e), but I did not. What I did was to come into the chamber and say, “Look, people in the chamber today, everybody, there is this atmospheric around. The atmospheric of one of wilful disobedience to the standing orders.” I indicated what my tally on that was.
Earlier on in this Assembly—not that long ago—I, in the chair, named Mrs Dunne, and she was duly given a three-month—sorry, I beg your pardon—a three-hour absence from the chamber. Mr Hanson said this afternoon that there has never been a dissent from my ruling. There was on that occasion. Mr Hanson has not got it right—again.
A reflection on the Speaker—I do not think so, Mr Speaker. I just do not think so. I have been a big supporter of your particular position in your role for a long time against the attacks of those opposite against your integrity. I think that is just spurious.
Mr Hanson says it is clear that this is a politically motivated attack from the position of the chair. I would suggest, Mr Speaker, that if I stand up in this chamber and I say to folks, “Look, there’s an atmospheric around here which indicates that there are 165 interjections on this one day—one day, just an hour, 165—and Mr Hanson was responsible for 67 of them, and the entire government benches were responsible for 14 of them and there—
Mr Hanson: Says you.
MR HARGREAVES: I heard you in silence—and the crossbench were responsible for none. Now, Mr Speaker, it matters not whether it is one or two out. The size of those numbers is indicative of a pattern of behaviour that Mr Hanson keeps talking about. I have not seen them for a while but my understanding from information you have given me, Mr Speaker, is that these numbers are a bit more favourable than the ones that were issued by the Canberra Times in recent times, indicating, again, the pattern of behaviour.
Mr Speaker, the motivation that I had was to say to these people, “Standing order 203 requires, upon a member being named, that the question be put forthwith.” It is a convention in this place, and only a convention. It is a convention honoured by this side and the crossbench but very rarely are conventions honoured in this place by those opposite. The convention is that people are given a warning. Now, Mr Speaker, you, in fact, warned the Leader of the Opposition today. That did not stop him interjecting 10 times during question time. But I would have thought, Mr Speaker, that me advising Mr Hanson that he has got 67—
Mrs Dunne: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.
Mrs Dunne: I believe that Mr Hargreaves has just reflected upon your operation of the chair during question time when he said that you warned Mr Seselja this morning,
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