Thursday, 20 November 2025

Cindy McLeish: On a point of order, Speaker, I seek your advice with regard to petitions. Petitions, as we know, that are to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly say so, and petitioners expect that to be the case. It has come to my attention that in June 2024 a hard copy petition with 300 or so names was handed to the member for Sunbury and it has been in his bottom drawer for some 18 months. I would have thought that this petition directed to the Legislative Assembly, which petitioners have signed in good faith, would be tabled. If the member for Sunbury is uncomfortable tabling that petition – a petition about an elevator at the Sunbury train station – which the petitioners want tabled, I am very happy for him to hand it to me so I can table it on behalf of the Sunbury Residents Association.

The SPEAKER: It is not really a point of order, member for Eildon. I think it is a matter for the member for Sunbury and you as the member for Eildon.

James Newbury: On a different point of order, Speaker, there are procedures in place in relation to the tabling of petitions in this place. I am concerned that in this instance it appears that those procedures were not followed and that it does warrant –

The SPEAKER: I have ruled on this point of order.

James Newbury: if I may finish my point of order, Speaker – an investigation to understand whether or not the procedures of the house have been followed.

The SPEAKER: These are matters for the house, not for the Speaker.