Parliamentary Procedure

Blackmore Manual, Third Edition

The SPEAKER: Before we get underway today, I would like to point out to members that you will have a copy of this book on your desk. It is the updated Blackmore Manual of the Practice, Procedure, and Usage of the South Australian House of Assembly. This is the first time it has been updated since 1890. A few things have changed in terms of the running of the parliament, including mobile phones, TV crews, women—

The Hon. S.C. Mullighan: Wigs.

The SPEAKER: Wigs? Yes, there are no wigs and no ties—well, there are still some ties. In fact, there is a whole section on clothing, and there is a note in there that the last person to wear a safari suit in this place was me. There is quite a lot of history there. A minister apparently punched someone in the eye in 1929 in the bathrooms after some sort of debate.

I would like to congratulate the Clerk, Rick Crump; the Deputy Clerk, David Pegram; and Josh Forkert, who have done a lot of work, along with other House of Assembly staff—about a decade's work in pulling all this together. You all have a copy there. I am hoping for a very quiet question time as you read through it.

The Hon. V.A. Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The opposition leader asks whether we are going to sign it. We have a copy here because Antony Green is in the house tonight for a function. I would like all 47 members of this place to sign this so that we can present it to Antony for the great service that he has provided democracy in Australia since 1989. I will pass that around during question time. Again, congratulations to all of the staff who have worked so hard on it. Now we will get onto the routine business.