Page 3214 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 17 September 2013
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MADAM SPEAKER: It has some level of privilege attached to it. It being tabled is an issue. I think the best way forward may be to allow Mr Gentleman to speak to the motion and then adjourn the debate. Then we will have to look at the issues that have been raised by Mr Coe. And if the issues raised by Mr Coe present us with some other issues, then we may have to look at the issues of privilege that may be attached to this report.
Mr Smyth: Can I suggest that that might be an unfortunate way to travel? If, as Mr Coe has said, there was no final vote—and those of us that have been on committees for some time know that the chair says at the end of it, “I move that the report as amended be adopted”—from what Mr Coe has said, that sounds like it has not occurred. If it has not occurred, then my understanding would be that Mr Gentleman is simply tabling an amended chair’s draft that has not been adopted by the committee. Therefore, he cannot table the standing committee’s report, because it does not exist. And this is the problem that you have.
Mr Corbell knocked the nail right on the head when he said it would be unprecedented not to allow an endorsed report to be tabled. It does come down to that word “endorsed”. And if it has not been endorsed by the committee, then it is not the committee’s report.
If Mr Gentleman wants to table his own report, then he should table it but he should not be tabling something that, on the notice paper, is the Standing Committee on Planning, Environment, Territory and Municipal Services report No 2, because it has not been agreed to by the committee. That does not exist. If we allow Mr Gentleman to speak to it, we may be seen to be giving tacit approval for something that does not exist. And I would suggest the easiest way is to just adjourn it immediately, and I am sure members would be quite happy for the Speaker and the Clerk to see the minutes.
Mr Corbell: Again, Madam Speaker, with your indulgence—
MADAM SPEAKER: Yes. This is a free-ranging conversation.
Mr Corbell: I think we are venturing into the realm of debate here. And I suggest to the Assembly that the most appropriate way forward is that the chair of the committee present the report and speak to the report and deal with whatever matters he feels he needs to deal with in that presentation.
Mr Smyth: But it’s not that report, Simon.
Mr Corbell: Assertions about whether or not the report is the report of the committee are just that—they are assertions.
Mr Smyth interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Smyth, please do not do this.
Mr Doszpot interjecting—
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