Page 3085 - Week 08 - Thursday, 16 August 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MADAM SPEAKER: He has two minutes to answer, and he has 1.36 minutes left. I will ask the minister to come to the point.
MR RAMSAY: Indeed. I was putting it in the context of the broader work that we are doing in reforming and making sure that we have a strong community contributions scheme which benefits the community as a whole. We will continue to do that.
I certainly cannot answer for correspondence that the GRC may or may not have received. I have not received any particular piece of correspondence, but I do know that there has been broad consultation on the community contributions scheme recently which the directorate is in the process of working through. I have full confidence that the result of all this work will be to make sure that the benefits for the community are very much maximised.
MR PARTON: Minister, have you or a member of your office spoken with Ms Cody to check whether there is any truth to her claims?
MR RAMSAY: Again, noting that the overall work with the community contributions sits with the Gambling and Racing Commission—
Mrs Dunne: Madam Speaker, on a point of order. The standing orders say that the minister’s answer must be directly relevant. Mr Parton asked a fairly straightforward question: has the minister or anyone from his office spoken with Ms Cody? I think that to be directly relevant, the answer is “yes” or “no”.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you. Stop the clock, please.
Mr Steel: On the point of order, the opposition cannot direct the minister how to answer a question. That is up to the minister.
Mrs Dunne: The standing order says—
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you. I think there is a point to both the points of order, but as I have said often times, the minister has one minute and 34 seconds to answer the question. Whilst you might like a direct “yes” or “no”, the minister is entitled, within the parameters of standing orders. I will ask the minister—
Mrs Dunne: On the point of order—
MADAM SPEAKER: in the time he has left to come to the point of question.
Mrs Dunne: I have another point of order in that case. Madam Speaker, you also have the power to sit the minister down if he does not comply with a ruling to be directly relevant. You have the capacity to ask him to be directly relevant and you have the capacity to sit him down.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mrs Dunne. The Minister for Regulatory Services.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video