Matter of Privilege

Matter of Privilege

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield) (14:40): Mr Speaker, I believe, under standing orders, one is obliged to bring a matter of privilege to the attention of the parliament at the earliest possible moment. That moment has arisen in the last few moments. The Deputy Premier has been advising this chamber that serious offences, such as murder and suchlike, were not proposed to be the subject of—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I will listen to the member for Enfield in silence, please.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: This is a matter about misleading the house.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Sorry, member, there are members of your own side who are interjecting. I would like to hear from the member for Enfield in silence.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: They are probably just excited, Mr Speaker. The point is that—

The SPEAKER: Matter of privilege?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It's a matter of privilege. The member has actually been misrepresenting, making a false statement to the house about the law. I would ask you, Mr Speaker, to take your time to look at this in due course—sections 70 and 71 of the Sentencing Act—and I am obviously happy to await your consideration of those matters.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. I will not rule on that matter of privilege, obviously, but what I will do is respectfully—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I haven't finished!

Mr Boyer interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright can leave for half an hour under 137A.

The honourable member for Wright having withdrawn from the chamber:

The SPEAKER: The member for Enfield, like any member, is entitled to raise a matter of privilege. I am trying to rule on that matter of privilege and members are interjecting. If any other member interjects, they will also be departing. I respectfully ask the member for Enfield to please provide any relevant background information that he has. I will also consult the record and come back to the house at the earliest possible moment.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Thank you, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Thank you, member for Enfield. The Deputy Premier has the call and I would ask her to please wrap up her remarks, thank you.

The Hon. D.C. van Holst Pellekaan: She's got two minutes.

The SPEAKER: Yes—in the last two minutes, thank you.