Honourable Member for Pittwater Use of Public Resources
| About this Item |
Subjects | Members of Parliament; Campaign Funds; Elections: New South Wales |
Speakers | Hazzard Mr Brad; Deputy-Speaker |
Business | Private Members Statements |
Commentary | Alex McTaggart |
Page: 3471
Mr BRAD HAZZARD (Wakehurst) [6.00 p.m.]: Tonight I express my concerns on behalf of the people of Wakehurst on the northern beaches as to the use of public resources. All members of Parliament are governed by rules regarding the use of public resources. These rules are laid down in the code of conduct and, from time to time, the Speaker or the Clerks remind members of their obligations. Recently, in anticipation of next year's election, the Speaker reminded members that neither the parliamentary crest nor our electorate offices should be used for campaigning and electioneering.
In my 15 years in Parliament I have seen minor transgressions and I have seen some horrific abuses, but what I am about to recount to the House is one of the worst abuses I have seen. It reeks of defiance of the rules and a wholly inappropriate attempt to use taxpayers' funds. Yesterday the honourable member for Pittwater delivered into Pittwater residents' letterboxes a two-sided glossy dirt sheet. It screamed campaigning or electioneering material and it offended almost every rule the Parliament has on campaigning materials.
Ms Reba Meagher: Point of order: This is an attack on another member of this House. The honourable member for Wakehurst knows he has to proceed by way of a substantive motion. It is not suitable to use private members' statements for such a purpose.
Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! If it is a personal attack the Minister is quite right. There are forms of the House that can be used to attack another member of the House.
Mr BRAD HAZZARD: I am sure the Minister is not saying that members in their private capacity cannot express concerns about the use of public materials. Is the Minister seeking to defend the use of public materials in defiance of the rules?
Ms Reba Meagher: The member's statement relates to the conduct of another member of this House. Private members' statements should relate to issues of concern in members' electorates.
Mr BRAD HAZZARD: I am entitled to raise the issues that my constituents are concerned about.
Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! I will listen further to the contribution of the honourable member for Wakehurst.
Mr BRAD HAZZARD: We are all aware that public resources should not be used for campaigning or electioneering material. This is not an attack. The honourable member for Pittwater should at least tell the residents of Pittwater why he sought approval to try to use taxpayers' money to print and post electioneering material to each resident at a cost of approximately $25,000. He should tell the residents why he considered it reasonable to try to use taxpayers' funds to electioneer with a dirt sheet against Rob Stokes, a good and decent person who was not even the candidate at the last by-election and who is concentrating on a grass roots campaign. I believe the honourable member for Pittwater was refused permission by Parliament to put out what was clearly an electioneering and campaigning dirt sheet using taxpayers' money. But that did not stop him putting out the dirt sheet and offending against all the rules with which other members of Parliament are required to comply.
Mr Peter Draper: Point of order: This is against the standing orders. This is a deliberate attack on a member and it is not about the electorate of the honourable member for Wakehurst.
Mr BRAD HAZZARD: To the point of order: We have a code of conduct. We have rules that Parliament is vested with trying to defend. A Labor Minister and an Independent are trying to stop factual material, which would offend against the people of the northern beaches, being put into the public record.
Ms Reba Meagher: To the point of order: The honourable member for Wakehurst is entitled to raise his concerns, but he must do so according to the standing orders of this House. It is inappropriate that private members' statements be used in this way. There are other ways for him to raise this issue.
Mr BRAD HAZZARD: Further to the point of order: As I said, I am not attacking the member; I am setting out factual material. That is quite different.
Ms Reba Meagher: He may consider it an attack.
Mr BRAD HAZZARD: He is not in the Chamber to defend it.
Ms Reba Meagher: He does not have the opportunity. There is no right of reply to private members' statements.
Mr BRAD HAZZARD: What right does the Minister have to stop factual material being put on the record? If a memorandum sent out by the Parliament states that any correspondence, newsletters, flyers or the like—
Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! Standing Order 82 deals with this matter. It states:
Imputations of improper motives and personal reflections on Members of either House are disorderly other than by substantive motion.
If the honourable member for Wakehurst has evidence that the action he alleges has in fact taken place, there are proper ways to deal with it. I would have thought the matter could have been referred to the Electoral Commissioner or the Electoral Funding Commission. It concerns me that the matter is well away from the electorate of the honourable member for Wakehurst.
Mr BRAD HAZZARD: No, it is not.
Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: It is not in your electorate, is it?
Mr BRAD HAZZARD: It is the northern beaches. The residents of Wakehurst will be very concerned about this member using the parliamentary crest, taxpayer-funded materials and offices to run an electioneering campaign, and that is what he has done. He has used the State crest on a newsletter, which he was told not to do. The Minister knows she cannot do that, but is she going to endorse the use of the State crest on electioneering and campaigning material?
Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Wakehurst is ignoring the direction of the Chair. His speaking time has expired.