Page 3807 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2013
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being quite determined to get this right so that all the members of the Assembly understood what we were doing and that there was agreement. We have gone through a committee process and we have gone through a drafting process. The drafting has actually been assisted by parliamentary counsel. It is unusual to come in here and make comments about the staff of a member. I think that is generally frowned upon.
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR RATTENBURY: Well, at the time Mr Hanson and his colleagues stood up in here with great gusto and said it was totally inappropriate to have that conversation. Now he has simply decided that is a standard he wants to adopt as well. But it is also reflecting on the fact that the legislation was drafted by parliamentary counsel; let us be clear about that—just as the opposition is entitled to have their legislation drafted by parliamentary counsel, which I think is a real strength of the Assembly.
What is also worth putting on the record in light of Mr Hanson’s comments is that there was a meeting scheduled between me, Mr Hanson and the Chief Minister to discuss this legislation. Mr Hanson withdrew from that meeting with no explanation. The message my office got was that Mr Hanson was not available for the meeting. There was no desire to reschedule it. Fair enough, things happen in our diaries.
Mr Hanson: Madam Deputy Speaker, I appreciate that the member does not like me, but I would ask that—
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Do you have a point of order, Mr Hanson?
Mr Hanson: The point of order is whether you would consider the member is being tedious and repetitious.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr Rattenbury, if you could stick to the point of the—
MR RATTENBURY: I am on a fresh point, though. I am simply highlighting that in light of—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR RATTENBURY: I will explain, Madam Deputy Speaker. Mr Hanson—
Mr Hanson interjecting—
MR RATTENBURY: Can we stop the clock while we take the point of order?
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, stop the clock, please.
MR RATTENBURY: On the point of order, Mr Hanson went to quite some lengths to basically make negative comments about the way this bill was drafted. I am very specifically coming to the point of how this bill was drafted and the endeavours I made to deal with Mr Hanson in the preparation of the bill. I have just started on a
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