Arabic version: دعوات لرئيس برلمان كوينزلاند لفرض سلوك برلماني أفضل
According to ABC News, Queensland Speaker Pat Weir has appealed to the state’s 93 MPs to “start respecting each other”, warning that “personal vitriol is overtaking common decency”. His call came as concerns grew over aggression, hostility and personal attacks in the single-house parliament.
At the resumption of parliament on Tuesday, Weir said quarrelling in the chamber was incessant and criticised inflammatory, unparliamentary language, serious allegations and false narratives. He declared it was time to reset. But Question Time soon became rowdy, with MPs shouting interjections and government ministers directing remarks at the Opposition Leader, including that he was “cooked”.
Weir did not intervene during those exchanges. In a later interview with 612 ABC Brisbane, he said he hoped conduct would improve, suggesting the speeches and strategy may have been worked out before his address. Former Labor speaker John Mickel rejected that explanation, saying the executive arm of government had deliberately undermined the Speaker and that Weir needed to use his powers to enforce standards.
The debate follows disclosures by Greens MP Michael Berkman that he sought counselling over aggression and hostility in the parliamentary workplace. Two other crossbench MPs also described distress at seeing an under-pressure Independent MP crying openly in parliament before his death. Former child safety minister Amanda Camm said at her resignation press conference that harassment, threats, bullying and personal vilification had been her experience over the past year.
Weir said parliament itself would need to decide whether tougher standing orders were warranted. Berkman said Queensland’s winner-takes-all system affects discourse because majority governments do not need opposition votes, making parliament “purely performative”. Earlier this year, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie made unsubstantiated claims about MPs’ alleged affairs; Weir intervened after some accusations, but took no action over a later list. He later said he could not recall whether he was in the Speaker’s chair that day, before acknowledging that he was.
