Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2018-07-31 Daily Xml

Contents

Members

Member's Remarks

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:03): First of all, I would just like to welcome the Hon. Mr Ridgway and the Hon. Ms Lensink to the chamber. It is good to see you here.

The PRESIDENT: I did not give you the call for humour.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Sorry, sir. On Thursday—

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Point of order, Mr President: I do believe it is unparliamentary to draw attention to the absence or presence of any member in the council.

The PRESIDENT: I uphold the point of order. You should have known better—

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: I would have thought an ex-president might know that.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Thank you, Mr President. On Thursday 26 July, the honourable Assistant Minister to the Premier made the following comment:

…if the honourable member or any other person in the community has an issue, do not use the privilege of this parliament to argue the case—say something out there. You have to be very careful in pinpointing somebody, with no evidence, and saying whether or not that person is qualified to do the job.

This was in relation to my question on the appointment of a Dr Nannapaneni to the SAMEAC board. At no time, in all the times that I have mentioned his name, did I reflect on the integrity or the competence of Dr Nannapaneni. My questioning, every time, was in regard to the consultation process of his appointment.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Point of order, Mr President: I believe the member is debating the question.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Wortley, as I understand it, this is a point of order. From what you have just said, your—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: I do not need assistance from the government benches. As I understand what you have said, and if I link it to what you said last week, you are raising an issue that another member has made an injurious statement against yourself. Is that correct?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: That is exactly right, under standing order 193. I ask the honourable member to withdraw those comments or for you to make a ruling under standing order 193.

The PRESIDENT: Could you remind me of the name of the honourable member?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: The Hon. Ms Lee.

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Lee, do you have a response to what the Hon. Mr Wortley has said?

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:05): Thank you, Mr President. The honourable member may have misinterpreted my remarks, but insofar as the member views that I have made injurious reflections on the member, then I withdraw my comments.

The PRESIDENT: Mr Wortley, I think that ends the matter.