Page 2200 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 9 May 2012

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just flicked me the bird. Madam Deputy Speaker, as he got up it was like that at me—flicking a bird as he stood up from his chair.

Mr Rattenbury: Point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker.

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Resume your seats. Stop the clock, please. Mr Rattenbury?

Mr Rattenbury: I seek your leave to explain myself. I did not make a gesture to Mr Hanson.

MR HANSON: He can’t do that. He knows the standing orders.

Mr Corbell: He can seek leave.

Mr Rattenbury: I am seeking leave.

MR HANSON: Is this a point of order or not?

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, resume your seat.

Leave not granted.

Standing and temporary orders—suspension

MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (11.42): I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent Mr Rattenbury from making a personal explanation.

I have sought to suspend standing orders to allow me to interrupt Mr Hanson’s speech to prevent him from continuing to misrepresent my position so deliberately. The reason I sought leave is that Mr Hanson has misunderstood. It was a shrug. He was having a go at me. He was having a go at me and it was a shrug. He is now suggesting that I did something quite unparliamentary, which I did not. The reason I sought leave, and I know it is somewhat outside the standing orders, before Mr Hanson continued to prosecute by saying what was patently untrue, is that I felt it was useful to clarify the situation that I have no interest in making unparliamentary gestures to Mr Hanson in the chamber.

It is really not my style. I wanted to take the opportunity to clarify the situation so that he did not need to feel too keen to make a point that was so unfortunate. Perhaps he misunderstood it because he was speaking—

MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Rattenbury, are you actually debating the point or are you debating the fact that the standing orders should be suspended?

MR RATTENBURY: I was trying to explain why I want the standing orders suspended. I think he has misunderstood me and it seemed useful to clarify that before


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