Page 3337 - Week 08 - Thursday, 23 August 2012
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MR BARR: Mr Speaker, I gave notice of this particular motion yesterday, but clearly admin and procedure, who set the agenda for this particular part of the Assembly program, had met earlier than that. If there is a flaw within Assembly process, it is that admin and procedure did not meet again prior to setting Assembly business. Perhaps the fact that this sitting fortnight has been disrupted in the way it has—
MR SPEAKER: Mr Barr, let us stick to the matter at hand, thank you.
MR BARR: So we would have been dealing with it today. If all the opposition have to worry about is a process argument, fine; knock yourselves out on the process argument. But the issue of substance before the Assembly is: do we or do we not support a $50 million line of credit for the University of Canberra for this project? The government’s view is that we should support this project. It is a good project for the university, it is a good project for the education sector in the ACT, and therefore it is a good project for the territory. I urge members to defeat the disallowance motion and to give the certainty to the university in relation to this line of credit.
Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth) adjourned to a later hour.
Mrs Dunne: Mr Speaker, I would like to seek some clarification about what is the purpose of the blue. We came in here today. We have a blue. It has one item of Assembly business on it. We got to the end of that item and the Clerk called on another item of Assembly business which is not listed on the blue. I now would like some clarification. Does the blue actually mean anything? Will it mean anything today? Will it continue to mean anything for the rest of the Assembly? Or are the government and other members going to just bring things on willy-nilly whether or not they are on the blue?
MR SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, the questions you raise are predominantly a matter for discussion between the managers of business for the respective parties and/or the whips. The purpose of the blue is stated very clearly on the top of the document:
This program of proposed business is issued for the general guidance of Members. It is not a formal document and business listed is subject to change.
That is the stated purpose of the blue, on the document. The matters you raise, I think, are not in the purview of the Speaker; they are matters that must be dealt with amongst the respective parties. That is all the remit I have on this matter.
Mrs Dunne: I would put, then, to you and to members, that if members want to bring on other matters which are not on the blue and which have not been listed by various of the mechanisms that go to putting together the blue, there should be some courtesies extended as to the reasons why these need to be brought on and whether or not they are actually on the notice paper.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mrs Dunne. I think the point has been made: the matter is now for the parties. We are not having a debate—unless you have something of substance to add, Mr Corbell.
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