Speaker waves rule book at MPs as Labor and Liberals exchange wild haymakers

MPs have been warned not to abuse parliamentary privilege to make wild or baseless allegations after Labor accused the Minister of rigging a small business scheme.

Speaker Michelle O'Byrne. Parliament Question Time. Picture: Chris Kidd

Speaker Michelle O’Byrne has warned MPs not to abuse the freedom granted to them under parliamentary privilege to make wild or baseless allegations.

It came after Labor’s Ella Haddad accused Small Business Minister Jane Howlett of failing to declare a conflict of interest relating to a small business grant scheme.

You have form when it comes to undeclared conflicts of interest,” she said.

“You and the Premier both refuse to come clean about whether you are currently under investigation by the Integrity Commission for having a conflict of interest in relation to grants made during your period as Sports Minister.”

Ella Haddad Labor member for Clark. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

It turned out Ms Howlett was not minister at the time the decisions were made and the grant recipients were selected by the Department of State Growth.

Ms Howlett described it as “grubby, grubby, grubby” and returned fire with an attack on former Labor leader Rebecca White.

“This is from a party that allowed Rebecca White to clock up over $50,000 in taxpayer funding since announcing she was going to run for the federal seat of Lyons, continuing to be paid as a state MP while she campaigned full time for that seat,” she said.

Jane Howlett Liberal member for Lyons. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

At the end of question time, Ms O’Byrne warned members to use their privilege to speak freely with great care.

“Standing order two also requires members to be not only truthful in their contributions, but to recognise that we have a peculiar right to empower sitting in this room to say pretty much anything we want,” she said. “That obviously does not apply to me, sadly.

“Do be careful when you exercise that right, because it is a significant thing to name anyone in this Chamber, whether they are an existing or a former member or a member of the community or of the broader world.”

Ms O’Byrne reminded members that people they mentioned had the right to respond and also warned of sanctions for “persistent and wilful obstruction and persistently and wilfully disregarding the authority of the Chair”.

“Please feel free to read the standing orders during the break. There might be a test, who knows?” she concluded.

Originally published as Speaker waves rule book at MPs as Labor and Liberals exchange wild haymakers