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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-02-22 Daily Xml
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Question Time

O'Hanlon, Ms C.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Hon. Reggie Martin a question concerning Cressida O'Hanlon.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Point of order: the member has not used the appropriate standing order or processes.

The PRESIDENT: Sorry, could you repeat that, the Hon. Ms Franks?

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The member has not applied the appropriate standing order or processes or given an explanation under that standing order for the purposes of her question. She has not used the appropriate standing order, which I am not going to number right now because the member who has just asked the question should know the number.

The PRESIDENT: The honourable member, under standing order 107, must identify:

At the time of giving Notices, Questions may be put to a Minister of the Crown relating to public affairs; and to other Members, relating to any Bill, Motion, or other public matter connected with the business of the Council, in which such Members may be specially concerned.

So you just have to identify on what basis you are asking the question. Can I say that the honourable member is not a minister; he can choose to answer or not answer as he sees fit.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: On accountability. I seek leave.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Parliamentary records show that Ms Cressida O'Hanlon was working for the member's office on 7 February 2023. It has also been revealed that on the same day Ms O'Hanlon received an email from her husband, James O'Hanlon, asking her to arrange a meeting with the minister or Chief of Staff to discuss securing taxpayer funds for Mr O'Hanlon's business, Citadel Secure. My questions to the honourable member are:

1. Can the member advise the council whether his former staff member, Ms Cressida O'Hanlon, was working for him on Tuesday 7 February 2023?

2. Did Ms O'Hanlon speak with the member concerning her husband's desire to meet with the minister or Chief of Staff to secure funding for his business?

3. Does the member agree that this is entirely inappropriate for a member's parliamentary staffer to use their privileged position to access meetings with ministers or senior staff for personal gain?

The PRESIDENT: Before I invite the member to respond, Clerk, do you have a view? The reality is that standing order 107 is as to whether this refers to the business of the council. I do not see that the business of the council. However, if the Hon. Mr Martin wishes to respond he can, otherwise we will go to the next question.

The Hon. R.B. Martin: I agree with your determination, sir.

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