Speaker Jacquie Petrusma’s plea for better behaviour in Tasmania’s parliament lasted less than an hour this morning, with question time descending into chaos on the first sitting day back from the winter break.
Petrusma opened proceedings after winter break with a pointed reminder about conduct, telling members she had received complaints during the recess.
“I did have a few members raise with me some concerns about members’ behaviour in the chamber, especially towards each other,” she said.
She reminded members their behaviour, including both verbal and non-verbal gestures, was on public display at all times in the chamber and was recorded and readily accessible by the public.
“I do remind all members to please conduct themselves in a respectful and worthy manner whilst in the chamber.”
The request was swiftly ignored as a series of questions from Labor about Bell Bay Aluminium and from the Greens on Macquarie Point Stadium costings sparked heated exchanges.
Petrusma was forced to issue multiple calls for order.
Labor Leader Josh Willie, deputy leader Janie Finlay and MPs Brian Mitchell and Meg Brown all reached the maximum three warnings, while Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff was on two.
The most explosive moment came when Energy Minister Nick Duigan accused Finlay of being willing to “write a blank cheque” for the operators of the Bell Bay aluminium smelter.
Finlay, already on her third and final warning, took personal offence and demanded a withdrawal.
“I’m offended personally by the suggestion of a minister that I would ever write a blank cheque to anybody and I ask that you withdraw,” she said.
Petrusma directed Duigan to withdraw, but a visibly puzzled and unhappy Duigan resisted.
“I didn’t get what the withdrawal is about,” he said.
Petrusma had to spell it out directly, telling him “you just need to say, I withdraw.”
Duigan only reluctantly complied after a standoff.
Petrusma then warned the House she could suspend enough members to leave it without a quorum.
“I remind the House that we only need 14 for a quorum, so the number of members in this House for question time can dramatically reduce very fast or I can suspend question time,” she said.
“As I reminded the House at the start of this sitting, the public is watching. So I do ask that members be cognisant of the fact that we are being broadcast.”
Warnings carry for the whole sitting day and Finlay’s ran out at 11:21am, when a minister taunted her across the chamber for not knowing her position on artificial intelligence data centres.
Petrusma suspended her under standing order 149 until the end of the matter of public importance.
Two minutes later the Speaker named Willie, Mitchell and Brown as those left on final warnings.
“So if we can get through the remaining three questions of question time without any more people suspended would be fantastic,” she said.
