Wednesday, 11 May 2022

St Albans electorate

Ms SULEYMAN (St Albans) (14:52): (6345) My constituency question is for the Minister for Community Sport, and my question is: what is the progress on the North Sunshine Tennis Club at Dempster Park’s application to the Local Sports Infrastructure Fund? The North Sunshine Tennis Club has a very rich history and was established following the Great Depression in 1936. It is run by a group of dedicated volunteers. It is a fabulous local club offering so many activities and sporting opportunities for the local community. It is also a sporting hub for many local schools and, most importantly, for the boys and girls in the local community participating in a great sport like tennis. But of course the centre is run-down and is looking forward to a bit of a rebuild and upgraded and modern facilities. I look forward to the progress of this.

Mr Battin: On a point of order, Speaker, during question time today obviously I was suspended from the house, which I am always willing to accept, and we have had discussions with them outside, but can I request on this occasion you do review the footage of before what happened when I called out the Premier? I understand it is difficult to hear and we know the circumstances, Speaker, so I want to do this in a respectful manner. When the Premier answers a serious question from the opposition by insulting the Leader of the Opposition and then it is called that the answer is within order or within the frame that we are to answer questions on behalf of the community, I find it difficult for anyone on any side of Parliament, when we are sitting here hearing insults back at anyone on this side of the house from a minister or Premier answering questions, for the Speaker to say our side has to remain silent after that. You were ruling. I understand the timing of that will be what you will raise as the issue. However, you have got to get to a position where if the Premier or the ministers are being insulting, I would call on the Speaker to intervene earlier and request that those answering the questions answer the questions factually and refrain from the insults that have been coming across this way, including calling the Leader of the Opposition a bottom loader today, rather than answering the question in relation to—

The SPEAKER: Order! I thank the member for raising this.

Mr Carroll: On the point of order, Speaker, the member for Gembrook—we have all got to be very careful with our words in here, and on this point of order talking about offence, I have just been sitting here listening to offensive comments directed at me from the member for Warrandyte that I take absolute umbrage to. I heard question time very clearly. The Speaker gave a ruling about silence and you, very clearly—

The SPEAKER: Order! Through the Chair.

Mr Carroll: you very clearly made a derogatory remark towards this side of the house, particularly directed towards the Premier, and I am being respectful to you too. There have got to be facts here. I am sure when the Speaker does watch the tape he will hear very clearly after the silence the derogatory comments you made towards the Premier. That is my contribution on your point of order.

The SPEAKER: Order! I am happy to rule on the point of order without reflecting on the footage. Question time, like most days, included comments traded across the chamber that I deem inappropriate. I am not able at every point to pull every comment up, every interjection; there would not be many people left in the chamber if I did that. The member for Gembrook was asked to leave the chamber for interjecting whilst I was in the middle of a ruling, not for what he was directing across the other side of the chamber. That is the reason that I asked him to leave the chamber.

On a further and different point of order, the member for Yan Yean.

Ms Green: Definitely a different point of order, Speaker. The Minister for Public Transport at the table just made reference to the ongoing stream of invective that was coming from the member for Warrandyte. It was appallingly offensive. It was disrespectful. I would ask you to review and counsel him. Especially while the member for Wendouree was on her feet and other women members were on their feet he said throughout constituency questions, ‘Stop killing people’. It was just appalling and unparliamentary, and he needs to be counselled.

The SPEAKER: Order! I did call both the member for Warrandyte and the Minister for Public Transport to order during that. I did view it that the interjections across the chamber were interrupting the member for Wendouree’s contribution, but I do not intend to reopen matters once they have passed. If members take offence to comments that are made, they should draw the Chair’s attention to those at the time.