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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-10-28 Daily Xml
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Matter of Privilege

MATTER OF PRIVILEGE

The SPEAKER (15:14): I refer to the matter of privilege raised by the member for Davenport in relation to a possible inaccuracy in the minister's second reading speech on the Statutes Amendment (Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction and Regulation of Research Involving Human Embryos) Bill currently before the house. First, I make the observation that it is incumbent on the minister to bring any inaccuracy in the parliamentary record to the attention of the house at the first opportunity, and I believe the minister has assisted in clarifying the matter for the house in his explanation, following the raising of the matter by the member for Davenport. However, it remains incumbent upon the minister or, indeed, the member for Davenport, or any member, to draw any inaccuracy to the attention of the house as soon as they become aware of it, if they believe that the inaccuracy may, to quote McGee in Parliamentary Practice in New Zealand, genuinely be regarded as tending to impede or obstruct the house in the discharge of its duties.

In relation to the specific matter raised by the member for Davenport, I hope that the house would be unlikely to be influenced by the deliberations of another parliamentary jurisdiction, regardless of whether or not the measure was part of a national legislative scheme. I think it even less likely that the deliberations of the Western Australian parliament, however accurately or inaccurately reported on by the minister, would have the effect of intimidating this house or any member, particularly as for this house this is a matter of conscience.

It is regrettable that the house was not provided with the most contemporary information in the minister's second reading explanation, particularly if the omission of up-to-date information has unduly influenced any member of the house, but I do not see that the inaccuracy was deliberate, nor could it, in this case, genuinely be regarded as tending to impede or obstruct the house in the discharge of its duties. For that reason I do not propose to give the precedence which would enable any member to pursue this matter immediately as a matter of privilege. As I always say in these matters, this decision does not prevent the member for Davenport, or any other member, from proceeding with the motion on the specific matter by giving notice in the normal way.

Mr Venning interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I hope the member for Schubert is not referring to the chair.

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