Page 249 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 28 November 2012
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Mr Smyth: On a point of order perhaps, Madam Speaker, I am aware that the staff need to go for an evening meal so it might be appropriate to call a break now for dinner.
MADAM SPEAKER: Is it the will of the Assembly to suspend for dinner?
Mr Gentleman: On the point of order, Madam Speaker, if I could, in our admin and procedures committee yesterday we outlined the need for staff to have a break after five hours, so the commencement time for question time was 14.30.
MADAM SPEAKER: I understand that. I am in a position that, if I ask whether it is the will of the Assembly to suspend for dinner and it is seven all, we cannot suspend for dinner and we cannot comply with the enterprise bargain. I am in a position where I think that we have to suspend for dinner. Is it the will of the Assembly to suspend for dinner?
Mr Barr: No, is it not
MADAM SPEAKER: If you force me to put it to a vote, Mr Barr, I predict that we will be in a situation where we—
Mr Barr: I predict we won’t.
MADAM SPEAKER: You predict we will not, okay. Is it the will of the Assembly to suspend for dinner?
Mr Barr: No.
MADAM SPEAKER: The Clerk has refreshed my memory. You have essentially removed leave for me to suspend the sitting. Therefore you have put me in an invidious position where I will have to vacate the chair until the ringing of the bells, because we cannot adjourn and I have to suspend the sitting. So what is it going to be? The Assembly will be suspended until the ringing of the bells while we sort this out.
At 7.10 pm the sitting was suspended until the ringing of the bells.
The bells having been rung, Madam Speaker resumed the chair at 7.18 pm.
MADAM SPEAKER: I will begin where I left off before. Is it the wish of the Assembly that we should suspend for dinner?
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