Page 3856 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 25 September 2019
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Mr Rattenbury: Madam Speaker, just before you finish your ruling I draw your attention also to standing order 59, which says:
A Member may not anticipate the discussion of any subject which appears on the Notice Paper …
Knowing that Mr Gupta’s motion will come on for discussion later this afternoon, I believe that members opposite are seeking to anticipate Mr Gupta’s motion.
Mr Wall: Madam Speaker, standing order 116 is expressly clear. That allows questions to be asked of a member who has got carriage of a motion. Mr Rattenbury’s point of order that a question on a matter coming before the house is anticipating business would rule any question relating to any matter that a member has got carriage of before the Assembly from being asked.
Members interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, members. I have listened to all the debate and if Mr Rattenbury is comfortable in taking executive carriage of this question still I will give him the call to answer the question.
Mr Coe: Madam Speaker, I seek your clarification whether Mr Rattenbury is responsible for this item on the notice paper.
MADAM SPEAKER: There is a matter, there is a motion, there are a number of things before us. One, it is anticipating debate. Is it seeking an opinion? There is an executive member responsible for climate change. It is very clearly set out in the AAs. It is a government position. It is a government policy. Therefore it is fair and fitting for an executive member to respond.
Mr Hanson: Madam Speaker, on your ruling, in essence the standing orders allow a question of a non-executive member on a matter they have before the Assembly. Any matter before the Assembly has a minister responsible. This is what we are dealing with. That would allow, essentially, a minister to answer any question directed to a member on a matter before the Assembly. It would nullify the ability at any stage for a non-executive member to be asked a question about a matter that they have before the Assembly. The standing orders are written in a certain way that allows that questioning and do not say that ministers then pick that up. It is specifically about the matter before the Assembly, that being a motion, not the generic issue of climate change.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you for that. I have considered all these matters and I think, in this term, at this moment it is appropriate, if Mr Rattenbury is choosing to step in and answer the question, and reasonable.
MR RATTENBURY: We might have the question again as it has been some time since it was asked.
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