White Ribbon Campaign

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:32): Supplementary question: Mr President, given the minister's response to that question and others, does the minister believe that if anyone claims to feel passionately about any issue that that immediately excuses and justifies any vile or abusive behaviour toward colleagues and staff and, in particular, women?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:32): As the Leader of the Government in this chamber I am happy to remind—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I am very happy to remind those opposite—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Leader of the Government is on his feet.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I will remind the—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I won't take long, Mr President. I will just remind the honourable member that the minister has apologised—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: He said it fell below the behaviour he expected and he expects from others.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Sit down, minister.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! Will the Hon. Ms Gago please desist; and using the word 'despicable' to describe someone in this chamber is, I think, inappropriate. Minister, you are on your feet.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The Hon. Rob Lucas is mouthing across the chamber words which I can't decipher because he is so gutless he won't even stand up and repeat them. I respond with this view that I have—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: —expressed several times.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has got the floor.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The behaviour that I was associated with at Rigoni's is unacceptable. The language that I used is unacceptable and I apologise absolutely for it.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Gago.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!