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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-07-06 Daily Xml
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PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite) (16:16): My question is to the member for Taylor as chair of the Public Works Committee. Why, as the presiding officer of the Public Works Committee, did she attempt to force the Public Works Committee to a vote on the $394 million Convention Centre project after only 65 minutes of questioning?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Point of order: the phrase 'attempt to force them to a vote' is plainly comment. It is argument.

The SPEAKER: I think you need to modify your question, member for Waite. I am listening. It is normally not practice for questions to be asked of members apart from minsters—however, standing order 96, if it relates to business that the member is responsible for. I will listen to your question, but be very careful of your wording of the question.

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH: Indeed—standing order 96. Why, as the presiding officer of the Public Works Committee, did she attempt to ensure that the Public Works Committee voted on the $394 million Convention Centre project after only 65 minutes of questioning, with witnesses still present in open forum, without allowing any debate on the evidence, and without the agreement of all members present to so proceed?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (16:18): If the member—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs VLAHOS: —who was in the room at the time—I indicated that I was foreshadowing that we would be moving to write a draft report. We then had some more questions, we then put the motion to members from the Liberal Party who were still present in the room at the time of the vote. They had not exited the room. I have many people who could concur with my—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, Minister for Transport.

The Hon. P.F. CONLON: Having asked the question, no matter how angry he is, it is not open for him to argue with the answer.

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Taylor.

Mrs VLAHOS: Two people may think they were not in the room. I am sure the record will show that three votes were in the affirmative, two votes were not exercised, the motion was passed that we write a draft report. It is not finalised. We will move in the normal procedure that the Public Works Committee does, and we will move forward.

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I have already noted earlier in the day that there seems to be some controversy about this, and I want to look at this. Thank you, member for Taylor, for answering that question, but we will not have more questions on this until later, until I have been able to look at the information, look at the Hansard, and come back to the house.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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