It was mum’s the word for Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison in State Parliament on Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“I haven’t said boo,” the new member for Maitland told the Mercury.
That was probably a good idea as, at the start of proceedings, Speaker of the House Shelley Hancock warned that she would adopt Standing Order 249, which would mean that any member who was ejected would be marched from the building and be unable to take part in any of the day’s proceedings.
MPs who have been removed from the chamber so far this term have been allowed back in to vote.
“I fully intended to behave with decorum today anyway,” Ms Aitchison said.
“Even before the announcement was made.”
The Mercury reported on Thursday that Ms Aitchison had been ejected from Parliament twice in her first few weeks in the role, but had not missed a vote as a result.
During her warning in Parliament, Ms Hancock referred to general comments from MPs in local media outlets but did not single Ms Aitchison out by name.
The Maitland MP is among 10 Labor members that have been kicked out of the lower house since Parliament resumed earlier this month.
“Obviously it’s a concern that the speaker has had to change her tactics to deal with question time,” she said.
According to the standing orders, MPs removed under section 249 are given three warnings before being removed from all parliamentary precincts for the remainder of that day.
They are not allowed to take part in any lower house proceeding or committee.
Cessnock MP Clayton Barr and Port Stephens MP Kate Washington have also been kicked out of the chamber this term.
Earlier this week, Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter and Central Coast Scot MacDonald warned that Hunter MPs would go missing in action if they kept being removed from Parliament.
Parliament has three sitting days left before a two-week break, so chances are slim that Ms Aitchison will make a hat trick of being kicked out of the chamber in the near future.
