Page 4394 - Week 12 - Wednesday, 25 October 2017
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without a substantive evidence base, and it is appropriate that this motion be given the consideration required.
Mr Barr’s refusal to honour convention merely highlights his arrogance and blatant disregard for proper practice and procedure, a characteristic of the operation of his government at every level. I urge members to support the suspension of standing orders to enable a motion to be moved to amend the sitting pattern and give the motion of no confidence that this Chief Minister has engaged in corrupt decisions the consideration it deserves.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Wall, you should be debating just the suspension of standing orders and not the motion you are referring to.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Minister for Planning and Land Management and Minister for Urban Renewal) (6.33): The government will not be supporting Mr Wall’s suspension of standing orders. The Chief Minister has made it abundantly clear how we are proceeding with this matter.
I want the Assembly to reflect on the two meetings on the government business agenda that I have had with Mr Wall’s office and the Greens in relation to business for this next two-week period, particularly in relation to the grace we gave the opposition for the suspension of government business on Tuesday to deal with Mr Doszpot’s speech. That was the appropriate thing to do; but at no time during those two meetings on the government’s business agenda did Mr Wall or any member of the opposition indicate they wanted to move this motion or suspend the sittings for the period. They agreed to the government business and the private members business that will occur over the next two weeks.
If there is any arrogance, Madam Speaker, it is from the opposition in this case. I think the government has been very graceful over this two-week period. There is a lot of work for us to do; we had to put a lot of government work off due to the motion that was allowed for Mr Doszpot on Tuesday. We have a lot of business to secure before the end of the year and a lot more business to do next year as well. We will not be supporting the suspension of standing orders.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (6.35): The Greens will not be supporting the suspension of standing orders. We appreciate the significance of this motion and we will be looking at the details of the allegations very closely, as we are expected to do for such serious consideration. But we are capable of doing that and continuing with the business of this place. We do not feel that we need all of the next seven days to consider it; we will do it around the other work we have to do.
As Mr Gentleman has noted, there is a lot of work to be done in the next week; there is quite a full program. We think it is appropriate that that work continue, particularly with the limited number of sitting days. I note that Mr Wall’s motion does not actually put in any replacement sitting days; it simply deletes sitting days from the calendar. Certainly on that basis we cannot support the motion.
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