Page 4046 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 23 October 2018
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MR RATTENBURY: We are hearing this interjection across the chamber again from Mr Parton, “We just want to make it happen.” Mr Parton, go and read the rules. We are stuck here. We do not like it but this is the—
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Members, please!
MR RATTENBURY: I know what will happen, because they have already done it once. The Liberal Party are going to walk out of this place and they are going to sledge the Greens in every way they can by saying that we do not support affordable rentals. I cannot be more unequivocal in this place about our support for this.
But we also come to this place and we accept that there are rules and there are boundaries. So we will not be supporting a suspension of standing orders for these purposes. We are very happy to have further discussion with both the Liberal Party and the government on how the financial prerogative works in this place. But I am not prepared to do it as a one-off on this bill, as part of some political wedge exercise by the Liberal Party.
We are in the middle of a review of standing orders by the administration and procedure committee. This has not been brought up in that committee by a member of the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party did not even make a submission to that process. This is not a serious effort at changing the rules. This is a political move and we should see it for what it is.
We do want this legislation changed and we will continue to work on it. We will continue to make the point to the minister for housing. She is due to report back to the Assembly, I think during this sitting period, on the last motion. We will use that opportunity. We will continue to make the case, but we will not support a suspension of standing orders for this purpose.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (10.22): Madam Speaker, I note that there are 30 seconds left for this debate. In light of that, I want to be very clear that the Greens have an opportunity today to bring about cheaper rentals in Canberra and they are choosing not to do so because they would rather hide behind the standing orders. They are letting down thousands of Canberrans that want to have some hope of having cheaper rentals. All you need to do is suspend standing orders. Instead, what you are doing is dealing yourselves and the opposition out of the legislative process. It is a sham and they are letting down thousands of Canberrans.
MADAM SPEAKER: The time for debate has expired, Mr Coe.
Question put:
That the motion be agreed to.
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