A parliamentary question regarding the Leader of the House's handling of the Labour Relations Reform Bill vote, specifically the perceived circumvention of a member's opportunity to speak. The Leader of the House defends his actions by stating he was unaware of who had spoken and acted to pass the vote quickly.

AnsweredQoN 1374Legislative Council
Asked
9 May 2002
Portfolio
Leader of the House

QuestionView source ↗

LABOUR RELATIONS REFORM BILL 2002, SECOND READING VOTE 1374. Hon PETER FOSS to the Leader of the House: I refer the leader to the method by which he brought the second reading of the Labour Relations Reform Bill to a vote on Tuesday. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Minister for Housing was not asked to respond to this question. Hon PETER FOSS: In view of the fact that Hon Paddy Embry was in the House and ready to make a speech on the Bill, what led the Leader of the House to signal to Hon Graham Giffard to sit down so that he could bring on the vote when Hon Paddy Embry should have risen to speak? Hon KIM CHANCE

AnswerView source ↗

Although I read, I thought fairly carefully, the speeches made by members opposite during my absence, the member will acknowledge that I would not necessarily have been aware of who had spoken and who had not, unless I had been diligent and written down every name. Given those circumstances, I was not aware whether Hon Paddy Embry had spoken or intended to speak. I did what I did because I saw the opportunity to bring on the vote while there were no, or very few, members opposite present so that it would be carried without dissent.
LABOUR RELATIONS REFORM BILL 2002, SECOND READING VOTE
I refer the leader to the method by which he brought the second reading of the Labour Relations Reform Bill to a vote on Tuesday. Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Minister for Housing was not asked to respond to this question. Hon PETER FOSS: In view of the fact that Hon Paddy Embry was in the House and ready to make a speech on the Bill, what led the Leader of the House to signal to Hon Graham Giffard to sit down so that he could bring on the vote when Hon Paddy Embry should have risen to speak? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: Although I read, I thought fairly carefully, the speeches made by members opposite during my absence, the member will acknowledge that I would not necessarily have been aware of who had spoken and who had not, unless I had been diligent and written down every name. Given those circumstances, I was not aware whether Hon Paddy Embry had spoken or intended to speak. I did what I did because I saw the opportunity to bring on the vote while there were no, or very few, members opposite present so that it would be carried without dissent.
Several members interjected. The PRESIDENT: Order! The Minister for Housing was not asked to respond to this question. Hon PETER FOSS: In view of the fact that Hon Paddy Embry was in the House and ready to make a speech on the Bill, what led the Leader of the House to signal to Hon Graham Giffard to sit down so that he could bring on the vote when Hon Paddy Embry should have risen to speak? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: Although I read, I thought fairly carefully, the speeches made by members opposite during my absence, the member will acknowledge that I would not necessarily have been aware of who had spoken and who had not, unless I had been diligent and written down every name. Given those circumstances, I was not aware whether Hon Paddy Embry had spoken or intended to speak. I did what I did because I saw the opportunity to bring on the vote while there were no, or very few, members opposite present so that it would be carried without dissent.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The Minister for Housing was not asked to respond to this question. Hon PETER FOSS: In view of the fact that Hon Paddy Embry was in the House and ready to make a speech on the Bill, what led the Leader of the House to signal to Hon Graham Giffard to sit down so that he could bring on the vote when Hon Paddy Embry should have risen to speak? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: Although I read, I thought fairly carefully, the speeches made by members opposite during my absence, the member will acknowledge that I would not necessarily have been aware of who had spoken and who had not, unless I had been diligent and written down every name. Given those circumstances, I was not aware whether Hon Paddy Embry had spoken or intended to speak. I did what I did because I saw the opportunity to bring on the vote while there were no, or very few, members opposite present so that it would be carried without dissent.
Hon PETER FOSS: In view of the fact that Hon Paddy Embry was in the House and ready to make a speech on the Bill, what led the Leader of the House to signal to Hon Graham Giffard to sit down so that he could bring on the vote when Hon Paddy Embry should have risen to speak? Hon KIM CHANCE replied: Although I read, I thought fairly carefully, the speeches made by members opposite during my absence, the member will acknowledge that I would not necessarily have been aware of who had spoken and who had not, unless I had been diligent and written down every name. Given those circumstances, I was not aware whether Hon Paddy Embry had spoken or intended to speak. I did what I did because I saw the opportunity to bring on the vote while there were no, or very few, members opposite present so that it would be carried without dissent.
Hon KIM CHANCE replied: Although I read, I thought fairly carefully, the speeches made by members opposite during my absence, the member will acknowledge that I would not necessarily have been aware of who had spoken and who had not, unless I had been diligent and written down every name. Given those circumstances, I was not aware whether Hon Paddy Embry had spoken or intended to speak. I did what I did because I saw the opportunity to bring on the vote while there were no, or very few, members opposite present so that it would be carried without dissent.
Although I read, I thought fairly carefully, the speeches made by members opposite during my absence, the member will acknowledge that I would not necessarily have been aware of who had spoken and who had not, unless I had been diligent and written down every name. Given those circumstances, I was not aware whether Hon Paddy Embry had spoken or intended to speak. I did what I did because I saw the opportunity to bring on the vote while there were no, or very few, members opposite present so that it would be carried without dissent.

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