Petition Presented by Member for Broadwater
Mr BEANLAND (Indooroopilly LP) (2.30 p.m.): I rise on a matter of privilege. On 27 October 1999 the member for Broadwater presented to the Parliament a petition signed by one petitioner Mr Kevin Lindeberg.
The petition presented by the honourable member for Broadwater contained no markings;
however, when it was presented to the Parliament in the normal course of petitions it was found to have been defaced by markings.
I am not suggesting for a moment that the Clerk or his staff did this, but the question is:
by whom and why was the petition defaced?
Was this defacement a breach of the privileges of this House and the rights of the petitioner?
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Is this matter of privilege for you or for Mr Grice?
Mr BEANLAND: It is a matter of privilege in relation to the petition and the petitioners.
Mr SPEAKER: I would have thought it would be Mr Grice's matter of privilege.
Mr BEANLAND: This is an important matter of privilege about petitions presented to this Parliament.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! We will hear this point of privilege, but we really think it should be with the member for Broadwater.
Mr BEANLAND: Mr Speaker, I therefore ask you to consider this matter urgently with a view to referring it to the Members' Ethics and
Parliamentary Privileges Committee for consideration and report.