Matter of Privilege

Matter of Privilege

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General) (11:48): I rise on a matter of privilege. Yesterday during question time, which related to a number of questions in relation to a person who is currently charged and before the courts, a debate ensued in relation to sub judice matters. Following question time, the member for Lee made a statement to this effect in his grieve:

Today, we had the Deputy Premier repeatedly refusing to answer questions by bogusly claiming that the questions were being put in a manner to threaten some sub judice behaviour of this parliament. That is just wrong, and we know it is wrong because the Deputy Premier herself put these same questions to a government during a question time previously in regard to the Hillier matter.

That could be interpreted as being the debate in relation to sub judice in the course of the questions raised and issues responded to relating to the statement, 'That is just wrong.' If that is the case, Mr Speaker, then you will recall your ruling, which actually accepted that one or more of those matters were sub judice. If the reference to being wrong relates to, or is included in, the questions asked by me of a previous government, I raise for your consideration the statements made by me on 7 June 2016 to the then attorney-general, the Hon. John Rau, relating to the Hillier matter.

I have a clean copy of the questions raised on 7 June 2016. Rather than read them all to you, Mr Speaker, I will hand you a copy of them. You will note that the attorney declined to answer a number of questions and that at no time at all were questions raised in relation to the accused in the Hillier matter. Whilst the member for Lee went on to claim his view in relation to the distinguishing nature of that, of course I cannot raise as a matter of privilege his lack of understanding of that.

However, I make the point that the allegation—that the statement of the matter being sub judice in yesterday's question time was wrong—is in error, given the challenges that were made. If it is to include the matters raised in relation to the Hillier questions, I will make them available for you to consider. In those circumstances, I ask that you give consideration to a matter of privilege and that a motion to establish a privileges committee should be given precedence over all other business of the House of Assembly.

The SPEAKER: I understand the matter raised by the Deputy Premier. Thank you. I respectfully ask the Deputy Premier to provide me with all relevant background information. Once I have that, I will defer my decision and report back to the house at the earliest possible opportunity; that is, whether I consider the matter to be, prima facie, a matter of privilege.

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: That's why she's not on the bench.

The SPEAKER: The member for Playford is called to order.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Was it the member for Lee? The member for Lee is called to order for interjecting out of his place. My sincere apologies to the member for Playford.