Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) agrees with the recommendation of the report of the Committee of Privileges and Members’ Interests presented on 17 March 2016 about whether the former member for Dobell, Mr Craig Thomson, deliberately misled the House;

(2) finds Mr Craig Thomson, the former member for Dobell, guilty of a contempt of the House in that, in the course of his statement to the House on 21 May 2012, as the then member for Dobell, he deliberately misled the House; and

(3) reprimands Mr Thomson for his conduct.

On 17 March 2016, as committee chair I presented to the House a report from the Committee of Privileges and Members' Interests as to whether the former member for Dobell, Mr Craig Thomson, deliberately misled the House on 21 May 2012, having regard to the findings against Mr Thomson made by the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on 18 February 2014.

The committee recommended that the House find Mr Thomson guilty of contempt of the House because his statement of 21 May 2012 contained factually incorrect material which he must have known was incorrect and because Mr Thomson's conduct amounted to improper interference with the free exercise of the House of its authority or functions. The committee also recommended that the House reprimand Mr Thomson for his conduct. This motion gives effect to the committee's recommendations, and I commend it to the House.

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