Page 3453 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 17 September 2019
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MR WALL: Minister, how are you dealing with the impact of the increase in use of illicit drugs, most notably methamphetamine, or ice, in incidents and assaults in health facilities?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Wall for the supplementary question. Again, I will take the detail on notice and come back to the Assembly with that. Obviously, along with the increasing presentations of acute mental health in the emergency department, there are some significant issues around the complexities of presentations within the emergency department that are a factor not just for the Canberra Hospital but for many hospitals across the country. Canberra Hospital, of course, has one of the busiest emergency departments in the country.
Government—climate change strategy
MADAM SPEAKER: Questions without notice. Ms Cheyne.
Mr Wall: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, standing order 113A of our standing orders states that a member may ask a question without notice. I draw your attention to the fact that our standing orders are in fact silent on whether or not ministers, assistant ministers, parliamentary secretaries or special secretaries, however described, can or cannot ask questions. In line with standing order 275, our standing orders point to House of Representatives Practice. If I could draw your attention to House of Representatives Practice under the chapter titled “Questions”, notably questioners, it states that parliamentary secretaries or assistant ministers and the like are not able to ask questions during question time. That is the observed practice in the House of Representatives.
Mr Barr: Madam Speaker, on the point of order—
MADAM SPEAKER: When he finishes I will give you the call.
Mr Wall: I ask that you make a ruling on Ms Cheyne’s role as a special secretary and whether or not it is appropriate for her to ask questions, given the observed practice in the House of Reps.
Mr Barr: On the point of order, as I made very clear at the time, Ms Cheyne’s role is not in the executive and is not a parliamentary secretary role, deliberately on advice from the Clerk to ensure that this particular issue was not triggered.
MADAM SPEAKER: In response, I am allowing Ms Cheyne to ask a question. I am aware of the statements in House of Representatives Practice but I am also aware that other states have parliamentary secretaries as backbenchers who participate in committees and ask questions. As the Chief Minister has commented, the advice was very clear to allow Ms Cheyne to continue in her full role as a backbencher. Hence the title “special secretary”. I will be allowing her to participate in question time. Ms Cheyne.
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