Page 1106 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 6 May 2014
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morning, has dispensed with his responsibility for that. It is now in the hands of the Assembly; therefore Mr Gentleman does not have charge of that matter.
Mr Coe: Madam Speaker, on your ruling, and I realise this is a—
MADAM SPEAKER: It is a highly technical ruling, yes.
Mr Coe: Yes, a rarely trodden area of the standing orders and the procedures of this place. The chair is, of course, still the chair of that committee. The questions we are asking were about his activity as the chair prior to the inquiry being closed. We are asking him about his conduct as chair whilst the inquiry was current. Whilst I accept that there may be some doubt about afterwards, he is still the chair, and we are asking about how he behaved as the chair during the inquiry. It is for that reason that the opposition would contend that it is a valid question under the standing orders.
MADAM SPEAKER: I think it is a perfectly valid question that you may want to pursue. As one of the few chairmen of committees who has actually been successfully asked a question in this place, I can, from experience, say quite unequivocally, Mr Coe, that, while I appreciate your attempt, the business about which you are inquiring is no longer the business of the standing committee on planning and territory and municipal services. I am ruling the question out of order.
Mr Rattenbury: On the point of order, Madam Speaker, you might give us, then, some guidance on the circumstances in which you would imagine standing order 116 might be used.
MADAM SPEAKER: I will give you a practical example. I recall that in the last Assembly Dr Bourke asked me, as chairman of the justice and community safety committee, a question about why a report had not been completed. I was able to answer that question because it was currently ongoing. There has been another occasion that I recall when I was asked a question in a previous Assembly as the chairman of the planning committee, but I cannot remember the subject matter. I do recall there being a number of occasions where members have attempted to ask members questions. Other cases would be where a private member had carriage of a private member’s bill. I recall that there have been questions in that regard in the past as well.
Mr Smyth: On the point of order, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: On the point of order?
Mr Smyth: Yes, on the point of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: Yes.
Mr Smyth: The standing order says:
Questions may be put to a Member, not being a Minister, relating to any bill, motion, or other public matter connected with the business of the Assembly, of which the Member has charge.
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