Page 2647 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 11 August 2015
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MADAM SPEAKER: I have made a ruling on that. I made a ruling on that. I called people to order. I threatened to march people at question time today. Then the time was brought to order. I have not made a ruling; I have just spoken about my dissatisfaction about the way that members in this place have treated the chair, and it is—
Ms Burch: And that includes those opposite as well?
MADAM SPEAKER: It goes to everybody. When the chair speaks and the chair calls people to order—can you sit down, please, Minister Burch. When the chair calls people to order, I expect them to be brought to order. It is up to the person occupying the chair at the time to use their discretion within the provisions of this place.
I will not tolerate any member of this place rounding on anyone who occupies this chair. That goes for Dr Bourke, Ms Lawder or Mr Doszpot, who is assisting us today because Ms Porter is ill and I am not feeling particularly great. He has come in to assist us because we are down on numbers. I do not care who it is: if you have a problem with the presiding officer, there is one way to deal with it, and that is by a substantive motion.
Mr Barr: There are surely more ways, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: I am sorry; there are not.
Mr Barr: There are points of order.
MADAM SPEAKER: There are points of order, yes, but you did not take a point of order. You rounded—
Mr Barr: I was on my feet trying to speak, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: That is not a point of order. The way that you, as the Chief Minister, behaved, rounding on the presiding officer, was unparliamentary.
Mr Barr: On indulgence, Madam Speaker, I need to respond. I realise you are cranky; I understand that. But in relation to how this debate has been handled, the level of interjection when speakers on this side of the chamber were attempting to close a debate, having heard everyone else in silence, was unacceptable. I will accept and I will apologise to Mr Doszpot for not taking a point of order rather than just, whilst I was on my feet, making the observation that this interjection—
Mr Hanson: Apologise then.
Mr Barr: I apologise to Mr Doszpot, but this interjection and series of interjections were ongoing, and surely something could be done about it. I should have taken a point of order; I acknowledge that. But I do not think it is unreasonable for speakers, having heard everyone else in silence, to be given the opportunity to at least make their remarks with a relative degree of silence.
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