Parliamentary Procedure

President's Gallery Visitors

The PRESIDENT (15:23): Members will recall that I made a statement to the council on Thursday 17 October concerning the reported behaviour of visitors to the parliament on the night of Wednesday 16 October. On Tuesday this week, the Hon. Jing Lee gave a personal explanation to the council relating to the events of that night and her personal experiences, particularly with, in her words, 'a very persistent visitor'. The Hon. Jing Lee expressed that she felt very vulnerable on the night and felt that she was put in a compromising situation. The Hon. Ms Lee also expressed that the situation on that Wednesday was escalated in having an external person attempting to inappropriately influence the voting of members.

In addition to the statement made in this house by the Hon. Ms Lee, I have received a number of complaints and accounts, both in writing and verbal, from multiple members of the council in respect of the behaviour of visitors on that night. Those complaints relate to the behaviour displayed in the galleries, particularly in the President's gallery during debate on the Termination of Pregnancy (Termination and Live Births) Amendment Bill, but also the behaviour of visitors in areas adjacent to the chamber, including areas where visitors should not have access unless accompanied by a member or their staff.

Of the complaints that have been provided, of the highest concern is the suggestion that the visitor was attempting to improperly influence the free performance by members of their duties as a member. Accounts have been given of the behaviour of one particular visitor seated in the President's gallery during the division on the second reading of the bill. The members providing accounts have identified that visitor as Dr Joanna Howe.

During the division, it was claimed that Dr Howe was observed yelling at the Hon. Dennis Hood to discourage him from vacating the chamber in order to provide a pair for the vote. Further accounts have been provided of the behaviour members had witnessed or experienced in the corridors and adjacent areas by Dr Howe and other visitors. Members have claimed to witness insults and threatening and intimidating tactics employed by Dr Howe towards some members.

It is entirely unacceptable for visitors to roam the corridors and other areas adjacent to the chamber unaccompanied. It is even more unacceptable that any member should feel intimidated or threatened by visitors while carrying out their free performance as a member of the council. Various examples of attempts of molestation, reflection or intimidation of members in carrying out their duties in the house which can be considered a contempt have been identified in Erskine May as well as Odgers and House of Representatives Practice.

I thank members who have provided their complaints and accounts of the behaviour they experienced or witnessed that evening. Members must feel safe in carrying out their parliamentary duties and have confidence that they are free to do so without interference, intimidation or undue influence from visitors.

In considering these accounts, I have decided that Dr Howe behaved in a manner that did not afford members that right and risked compromising the effective functioning of the chamber. As such, I advise the council that Dr Howe will not be permitted to attend the public or President's galleries of this chamber nor be permitted to access the areas adjacent to the chamber, such as the corridors, as well as other shared areas in the Legislative Council.

Finally, I again strongly remind members that they must take responsibility for the behaviour of their guests and ensure that their guests' conduct does not undermine the privileges, the powers and the immunities of the parliament.