Brownlee Gerry: General Debates 
Brownlee Gerry: General Debates 
[Volume:616;Page:11929] 
GERRY BROWNLEE (Deputy Leader—National) 
: 
 I want to—[ 
Interruption 
] When are we going to start Madam Speaker? I am not starting with that nonsense. I will start again. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: No it is not a point of order. I am going to speak. I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Please be seated. There has been considerable interruption. The member will start his speech. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I want to start my comments this afternoon by recording my admiration for Dr Nick Smith— 
Government Members 
: Ah! [ 
Interruption 
] 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: There will be silence during points of order. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I ask that the first comments in my speech this afternoon be heard in silence. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Yes the member is entitled to ask for that. Please continue. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Am I starting again or do I take a penalty for the disruption that has been caused by the Labour Party? 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Please continue. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. How much time off my speaking slot has the Labour Party cost me this afternoon? 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: It has not cost the member anything. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! The member has asked to be heard in silence. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: And it is now my time that you are taking Madam Speaker. Is Mr Mallardto be allowed to stay or should he go? 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: I have called for order. Please continue. This is the general debate. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I begin my comments this afternoon by expressing my admiration for Dr Nick Smith and for the way in which he has shown himself to be a courageous politician—[ 
Interruption 
]—a politician driven by conviction— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I just ask for one law for all. We have been asked to be quiet. Surely the National Party has to be as well. [ 
Interruption 
] If a speech is to be heard in silence it must be heard in silence from both sides of the House not just one. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: I did give a warning about points of order being heard in silence. The member was called for a point of order but Mr Brownlee continued to speak while that point of order was being heard. I give him one final warning. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. You have not yet ruled on my point of order which was whether the ruling on the member’s speech being heard in silence applied to National Party MPs or only to members of the Government. 
John Carter 
: I suspect that Trevor Mallard may be referring to me. As the senior Opposition whip I interjected by saying: “Hear hear!”. If we are going to be as silly pathetic and stupid as that on these sorts of matters then I have to say the Government is really in serious disarray. The interjection was nothing more than giving support to the member by a “Hear hear!”. Surely to goodness we are not going to become as petty and stupid as that over it. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: The rules on this issue have been quite clear over a period of time—that is that speeches are either heard in silence or not. If that member is allowed to say “Hear hear!” then members on the Government side of the House could equally say: “Tripe!” or “Rubbish!” which would be a more accurate reflection on the member’s comments. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member does have a point. The member did ask to be heard in silence so therefore there should be silence. Please continue Mr Brownlee. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Madam Speaker do I still have my 5-minute slot or am I now part-way into it? Has the Labour Party been successful? 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member is part-way into his speech. Please continue. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I want to record my admiration for Dr Nick Smith and for the way in which he went into bat for his constituents and then faced up to the consequence of doing so. He is a politician who is courageous compassionate and driven by conviction and he has the full support of the National Party behind him. It is a great sadness to us that there appears to be quite an unholy linking between the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General in this matter. 
I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. That concludes the part of my speech that I wished to have heard in silence. 
Hon Margaret Wilson 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I want to make it clear that there has been no contact at all between the Solicitor-General and the Attorney-General on this matter—and the member knows that. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: While I was hearing the member’s point of order Mr Brownlee interrupted. I had earlier given him a final warning about silence during points of order. He interrupted the member after his final warning. He will now leave the Chamber. [ 
Interruption 
] The member will withdraw and apologise. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: I cannot. I have been asked to leave the Chamber. 
Gerry Brownlee withdrew from the Chamber. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Concerning the point of order raised by the Hon Margaret Wilson I rule that that was a debatable point.