Page 1515 - Week 05 - Friday, 10 May 2019
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chamber. They set precedents that will last in perpetuity. They have certainly left a legacy. Those early years of the Assembly really must have been a golden era for interjections. Without any precedents, seemingly everything went.
As everyone here knows too well, there have been many points of order. And points of order are very important for oppositions because we do not win motions or legislation. So points of order are sometimes all we have. In fact, one could be forgiven for thinking that bills, motions and questions are just incidentals between points of order.
To support this theory, I have undertaken a little research. Some might call it the highlights reel of the Assembly; that is, the memorable moments of usually late night sittings. This was a point of order from Mr Duby, in response to a speech by Bill Wood, who is with us today, on 1 May 1990:
Mr Stevenson and I are being tarred with the same brush and we both object to it.
On 18 May 1994 Mr Stevenson took a point of order:
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I think that calling me a politician was not fair; it was not a nice thing to say at all.
On 21 May 1996 Gary Humphries, who is with us today, took a point of order:
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Berry said mine was the worst budget. I resent his denying me that special place in the pantheon.
On 9 March 2000 Simon Corbell took a point of order:
He used the term “loony left” … I certainly take it as an imputation against me.
On 23 October 2003, in quintessential Steve Pratt language, he took a point of order:
On the point of order, I claim that that is an imputation—and lower than a snake’s belly in a wheel rut …
On 9 December 2003 Mr Stanhope took a point of order:
On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker: Mrs Dunne just referred to me as a pathetic little worm. I take objection to being regarded as little.
Madam Speaker, regardless of the theatre of this place, albeit mostly with no audience, I think Canberra has been served well by the ACT Assembly. But there is room for improvements as to how this place operates.
Firstly, I think the role of committees is still evolving. I think that the committee office—and each committee—needs further resources if it is truly to be a permanent and consistent force in our parliamentary process. Such resources are required in research, specialist advice, in legal and accounting services and in monitoring roles. I also think that there have to be resources to follow the progress and implementation of
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