Qld: Speaker suspends Qld parly

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2006
Qld: Speaker suspends Qld parly

By Nikki Todd, State Political Correspondent

BRISBANE, Feb 15 AAP - Queensland parliament was suspended briefly today after the
Speaker ejected an Opposition MP for unruly behaviour.

Speaker Tony McGrady suspended parliament for 15 minutes after losing patience with
Nationals MP Kev Lingard who refused orders to leave the chamber.

Mr Lingard, himself a former speaker, was later suspended for 24 hours.

While extremely rare, suspension of parliament has occurred in the past for public
gallery disturbances, emergencies and sickness.

Mr McGrady denied he had overreacted by suspending operations, saying Mr Lingard had
thrown the house into "grave disorder" by deliberately refusing his orders three times.

"I had three options: I could keep on asking him to resume his seat and I would have
lost all credibility," Mr McGrady said.

"I could have asked the security people to remove him from the chamber ... and thirdly
I could have taken the action I did."

But Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg said Mr McGrady was out of line, and moved
a motion of dissent over the decision.

"This is what happens when a government has been there too long and it has a huge majority
in parliament," Mr Springborg said.

"It no longer feels the need to be accountable and writes rules ... to suit itself."

But Premier Peter Beattie stood by his Speaker.

"I have never seen a member defy the Speaker in that way ever like that before," Mr Beattie said.

"That is the worst and rudest and crass performance I have ever seen from a member
and I think frankly the Speaker acted appropriately."

AAP nt/sc/it/bwl

KEYWORD: PARLY QLD

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