Page 950 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 20 March 2012
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It is interesting that the person who has moved this motion is the person, I think, whose interjections throughout question time caused that advice to be given from the Speaker’s chair. If we had not had—what was it?—65—
Mr Hargreaves: Sixty-seven.
MS GALLAGHER: If we had not had 67 interjections from Mr Hanson, I doubt very much that Mr Hargreaves would have felt the need to remind members about behaviour in this place.
This should be seen for what it is—a continued attack on Mr Hargreaves. It has been going for some time. They are taking a great amount of joy in it, and this is simply a continuation of that.
Mr Hargreaves, like Mrs Dunne, Ms Le Couteur and Ms Porter, I think admirably support the role of you, Mr Speaker, in the chair. They do it with the full support of the members of this side of the chamber, and it is an important element—in fact, a core element—of the successful running of this place. Yes, we have our disagreements with members in the chair from time to time, but the rules of operation in this place mean that the chair has ultimate authority. And in order to operate—regardless of who is in it—it needs the respect and support of members in this place.
That is what this side of the chamber brings to the arrangement. It is unfortunate that the Liberal Party have not been able to resist the political opportunism and perhaps some embarrassment from Mr Hanson about his continued behaviour—the less desirable or undesirable behaviour that he has exhibited in question time for four years now.
I can say, Mr Hanson, because I have been in this place since 2001, that in my view you are the worst interjector that has ever sat in this place during my time in politics. You have had that drawn to the attention of members today. You have had it done in a way that you do not like. We all know you have a glass jaw, Mr Hanson, and the glass jaw response is to move a motion of no confidence.
Let us just get on with the business of government, the business of the Assembly. I agree with Ms Le Couteur’s comments when she said that we could all do a bit better. I think that is right. We should all be aspiring to perform our duties as members of this place better. Mr Hanson should take that advice and learn about appropriate conduct in this Assembly; then, perhaps, he will not need to have the person in the chair actually reminding him of it.
MR SMYTH (Brindabella) (5.36): It is interesting to see that the Chief Minister simply goes into excuse mode. She goes to her default position: “No fault on our side; it’s all over there. It’s all their fault.” It is interesting. This is her stock standard position. She was not here for what was said. She was not here to hear the way that it was delivered. She was not here to see the politics of the Labor Party move to the chair and, under the veil of the chair, under the protection of the chair, use that position for what he assumed to be his own advantage. You were not here; you do not know. The problem for the Chief Minister is that she does not set a standard here.
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