House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-02-07 Daily Xml

Contents

Personal Explanation

UNPARLIAMENTARY LANGUAGE

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:01): I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Yesterday in the house, I used unparliamentary language to describe the Leader of the Opposition, which you asked me to withdraw and I did withdraw, but I now wish to apologise directly to the Leader of the Opposition and to the house. This is below the set of standards that I have set for myself and this chamber. It is no excuse that I was upset by what I regarded as a discourtesy by the Leader of the Opposition. It does not excuse the fact that I used unparliamentary language.

The SPEAKER: Could I add to that that it is a long held convention of the house—it is not in standing orders—that we do not refer to each other's position in the house or that we are in the house or not in the house, for that matter. As I say, it is a convention.