Page 1254 - Week 05 - Thursday, 4 June 2020
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MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you.
MR PARTON: When it comes to those who are considering what is to reopen and what is not—whoever they may be—I believe going to the Black Opal race day would not be on the list of pastimes that would be acceptable. I have not seen that list, but I think most people in the horseracing industry would share my fear that going to the races is probably not considered by those in that position to be an acceptable pastime. Certainly, anyone who was once a follower of greyhound racing is extremely aware—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Parton, I asked you to keep your speech to what has been called for in the motion or what is relevant to the amendment that has been circulated. I am not sure that horseracing or greyhound racing were part of either the original motion or the amendment. Mr Coe?
Mr Coe: On a point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker, paragraphs (2)(a) and (b) of
the original motion clearly canvass this very issue. Therefore, I argue that Mr Parton is absolutely relevant.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I believe it says “permissible”. It does not say—
Mr Coe: It says, “about what is permissible”.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: But Mr Parton has not used the word “permissible”. He has spoken about what the Chief Minister believes is “relevant”. They were his words.
Mrs Dunne: On the point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker, after you asked Mr Parton to be relevant to the motion, he went back and said words to this effect—this is not verbatim—“Thinking about those things that would be permissible, I think going to the Black Opal races would be”—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: I believe it was “relevant”, but I am happy for Mr Parton to continue and remain permissible or relevant to the motion. Mr Parton.
MR PARTON: This city does not need a Chief Minister who insists on lecturing us on what we should or should not be doing in our spare time. We need a leader who is not so elitist and who empathises with ordinary, everyday Canberrans. By the way, I am assuming that smoking the weed is on the acceptable list because if we have legislated in that space—
Mr Barr: Point of order, Madam Assistant Speaker, the member has spent his entire speech both misrepresenting me and deliberately speaking outside of the terms of the debate before us. For the benefit of Mr Parton, in the quote he has referred to, I said it is always up to individuals to decide what they do with their time and:
If you want to go to Queanbeyan and lose money on a poker machine, go for it.
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