where your eyes don’t go

So, somehow, without any plan and with a lot of stubborn persistence, Houses & Motions has now been running for three years. Just why it keeps going remains to be seen, but if you want to know why this all got started, last year’s retrospective may help. Anyway, today’s post isn’t related to any of this, I’d queued it up a while ago so I’m tacking on the intro now…

Mr DEMPSEY: I implore this state government to be realistic in its approach and make sure that it
pays teachers adequately in comparison to teachers elsewhere in Australia for the hard work that they do.

Mr Schwarten: How much? What’s the offer from the opposition?

Mr KNUTH (Dalrymple—LNP) (9.56 pm): In speaking to the Education and Training Legislation
Amendment Bill, I acknowledge the minister’s intention to streamline—

Mr Dempsey: How much is enough?

Mr Schwarten: How much?

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bundaberg.

Mr Schwarten: Just gratuitous waffle.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Minister!

Mr Schwarten: No offer.

Mr Dempsey interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! I am on my feet. I will ask the member for Bundaberg to withdraw
that unparliamentary comment.

Mr DEMPSEY: I withdraw that comment.

Mr Schwarten interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Minister, the member for Dalrymple has the call.

Mr DEMPSEY: I rise to a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. What was the word—parrot? Was it
parrot or was it to do with brains because if brains were rubber bands they could be wrapped around a
parrot’s ankle.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bundaberg.

Mr DEMPSEY: I withdraw.

Mr Hinchliffe: It’s a bit too late to come back at that point.

Opposition members interjected.

Mr Schwarten: No wonder the coppers got rid of you.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Schwarten: No offer; no guts.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Minister!

Mr Dempsey interjected.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Bundaberg, you leave me no option but to warn you.
This is it. The member for Dalrymple has the call. Any further interjections will be treated that way.

Mr Schwarten interjected.

Mr DEMPSEY: I rise to a point of order. I take offence and I ask the minister to withdraw.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, he has asked you to withdraw.

Mr SCHWARTEN: I withdraw, Mr Deputy Speaker. I don’t like him winking at me.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, withdraw unreservedly.

Mr SCHWARTEN: I withdraw. I ask him to stop winking at me across the chamber. It is quite
embarrassing.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Minister, I will ask you to withdraw again unreservedly.

Mr SCHWARTEN: I withdraw unreservedly, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. The member for Dalrymple has the call.

Subject: Education Legislation Amendment Bill / Education and Training Legislation Amendment Bill [Legislative Assembly - Second Reading -- Cognate Debate]

Date: 6 October 2009

Hansard reference: pp. 2569 – 2570 [online (pdf)]