Opposition MPs demand explanation from Speaker over chamber timing fiasco

Opposition MPs who were forced to apologise for accidentally hurting a worker as they rushed out of the parliamentary chamber say they have video proof that the incident was caused by Speaker Milton Dick’s mistake. SEE THE VIDEO

Opposition MPs are furious that Labor Speaker Milton Dick forced six of them to apologise for “disgusting” behaviour, which caused a parliamentary attendant to be injured as they rushed out of the chamber — while not revealing he had cocked up the timing of the bells.

Coalition MPs Angus Taylor, Andrew Hastie, Dan Tehan, Ted O’Brien, Llew O’Brien, Zoe McKenzie and Sam Birrell were forced to issue a grovelling public apology after the March 29 incident, which occurred after Mr Dick had ordered the doors to be locked during a division.

Doors are locked as part of a parliamentary process, with MPs able to leave the chamber only while the bells are ­ringing.

On this occasion, Mr Dick had ordered the bells to be rung for one minute.

But footage of the incident shows he demanded the bells to cease and doors to be shut after just 40 seconds.

Parliamentary clerks looked confused after Speaker Milton Dick, at top of image, ordered the doors to be shut.

Mr Dick’s mistake appears to have occurred because the one-minute egg timer on the table in front of him had finished. What the Speaker hadn’t seen was that the clerk sitting in front of him had accidentally turned the four-minute egg timer by mistake.

As Mr Dick is instructing the parliamentary attendants to lock the doors, a male clerk can be seen leaning over to speak with the female clerk, who removes her mask before looking at the unfinished eggtimer.

She appears to put her hand over her mouth in shock at the realisation that Mr Dick has instructed the doors to be locked before a minute was up.

The male clerk also appears to put his hand on his mouth.

As MPs file back into the chamber, the woman can be seen turning to Mr Dick and can be overhead saying: “Was … that was one minute.”

After the conversation, Mr Dick looks unsettled, rubbing his eyes and stroking his chin.

The Opposition MPs have demanded an explanation from Mr Dick. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The premature ceasing of the bells appears to have resulted in MPs scrambling out of the chamber, resulting in an attendant being hurt

The next day the Speaker addressed the House of Representatives over a “grave incident” that occurred the day before.

“The most serious aspect of this incident is that members physically pushed their way past the attendant to get out of the chamber, resulting in the attendant getting hit in the doorframe and hurting their arm,” he said.

“I am particularly disgusted by this behaviour, and I will not tolerate it.”

This prompted apologies from the Coalition MPs.

But following the close examination of footage of the division by Queenslander Llew O’Brien, the Coalition MPs are set to go on the front foot because they say video shows Mr Dick himself caused it by the mistake he has failed to acknowledge.

The Coalition MPs plan to write to the Speaker demanding he explain why he has not owned up to his error.

One MP said Mr Dick “needs to apologise to the attendant for his involvement in this and give an open and honest explanation of what happened”.

“I’m pretty f...ing pissed off.”

Llew O’Brien said Mr Dick should come clean.

“If it is as it appears and the doors have been ordered closed on members leaving the chamber in accordance with standing orders, then the Speaker needs to explain why he hasn’t raised this in his previous addresses and, like every other workplace in the country, take responsibility for his actions,” Mr O’Brien said ­yesterday.

Mr Dick’s office declined to comment on the incident.

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