did the treasurer
ask if Mr Desmond was giving from the
profits of spunk loving or Asian
babes or Tri XX pornographic television
or the prophets of the Daily
Star as I said I wish to give the
honorable gentleman as much leey as I
can and I promised him of course I would
do this for any honorable member to make
sure that he has the protection of the
chair but we are discussing the report
of the
procedures committee and privileges
committee and therefore uh the matters
that he's raising at the moment are not
relevant to this report and he must come
back to it sir well Mr Speaker with
respect they're highly relevant it's a
question of glass houses and people
throwing stones it's a question of a
committee of
politicians criticizing me
for political fundraising when they
themselves are responsible for political
fundraising on a gigantic
scale from the most dubious of
sources in which they never applied to
themselves the standards which they seek
to apply to me in this
report it's a question not of Standards
Mr Speaker but of double standards
the members of the committee may know at
least the more worldly members of it
that their committee is now known as the
double standards
committee the double standards in
defense of privilege
committee order order I say to The
Honorable gentlemen that all members of
this committee acted in good faith and
were were were nominated to that
committee by the house and conducted
them their Affairs properly and there's
been no complaint whatsoever about the
way that they have conducted their
Affairs and in no way can I tolerate any
honorable gentleman and I know that
feelings are running high with the
honorable gentleman to say that the the
indulge in double standards they don't
but Mr Speaker you say there's no
complaint whatsoever but I have a
complaint and I wish to lay it before
the house and the country would surely
be intolerable to forbid me to argue
that the committee have Ed unjustly
because of the notion
and if the honorable gentleman says that
he feels that the committee have acted
unjustly then that is a case that he is
legitimately able to put but to say that
they indulge in double standards is it
is saying that they're acting in a
dishonorable way but if you say that the
The Honorable GES has not had justice
then put that case and he's highly
you're highly articulate and you're able
to do so I know that over the period of
years that I've known you but what I say
to you is this is that uh having a
complaint against the committee is one
thing but to say that you haven't had
justice is something you're entitled to
say without attacking the good character
of any member of that committee M Mr
Speaker I'm I'm really in a a bit of a
difficulty here if I'm saying that I
haven't had justice that means I've been
treated unjustly How can I argue that
I've been treated unjustly without
alluding to the
fact what what I'm saying as I says to
The Honorable gentleman is that he can
put the case that he felt that he he was
treated unjustly that I I understand and
it's for the house to decide after this
debate finishes whether the house feels
that the strength of argument is with
the honorable gentleman or with uh the
committee indeed Mr Speaker I'm I'm just
10 minutes into what I'm afraid is going
to be a long speech and it's been now
regularly interrupted by our teasing out
of what's in order and what's not in
order I I I I do assure you Mr Speaker
there's considerable interest in this
debate this evening in the country and I
don't think that the I don't think that
the I don't think that the country would
consider that it had been well served by
the House of Commons if a member who
about to be thrown out was not allowed
to proceed with the argument against him
being thrown out that he had come here
to make and I I I really appeal uh to
your spirit of generosity in that
because it will not be possible for me
to make the case that I've been treated
unjustly without criticizing the way
that I've been treated I know that the
notion is Mr Speaker that we're all
honorable members here but I'm actually
being accused of being dishonorable and
it's not possible for me to defend
myself without dealing with the way in
which I've been treated and so um I hope
that I will be able to make my case uh
always of course at your direction let
me begin if I may with my criticism of
the Parliamentary commissioner for
standards sir Philip Moore who in one of
the delicious ironies or order order I'm
very reluctant to keep interrupting The
Honorable gentlemen uh I usually in
these situations leave honorable members
who have had an accusation against them
to allow them to develop the case but I
could put it to The Honorable gentleman
to the house that there is a long
tradition of not attacking individuals
such as officers of the house who are
not able to defend themselves
and I remind the house that good temper
and moderation are the characteristics
of parliamentary
language Mr Speaker this is now
beginning to Verge on the ridiculous and
I do say again there are very many
people watching this debate this evening
that would like to hear my defense
against the charges of the standard
commissioner and of the committee of
Privileges and standards if I'm to be uh
uh although you do it in the gentlest
way if you're to come over the ball at
me every time I uh uh make a couple of
uh yards advance in my argument it will
really get nowhere I cannot criticize
the conduct of the inquiry without
criticizing the conduct of the person
who conducted it I'll try to do so as
temperately as I can but it would be it
it will be seen Mr Speaker as an attempt
to gag me here as a as an attempt to
silence me here well
honorable I I've known the honorable
gentleman for 30 years and I've never I
don't think I have the power to silence
him but I I don't think I've been able
to do that all I'm saying is this is
that the house has given me rules a set
of rules that I must abide by and see
that they they are enforced and uh it's
not an attempt to to gag The Honorable
gentleman but he must abide by the rules
that Parliament has given me and I'm the
custodian of the rules even in a
situation like
this Mr Speaker Dr David Kelly was a
civil servant who couldn't defend
himself and look what happened to him
are we really saying that an important
official of the British state who's
conducted a 4-year long inquiry into me
cannot be criticized because of the
position that he holds that will not be
tenable in the public in the country it
might well pass master here though I
suspect not with everyone but it cannot
be the case surely that I cannot develop
my criticism of the commissioner's
inquiry into me because I'm gagged from
mentioning the commissioner the man who
carried out the inquiry I I I'm I'm
sorry that these things are causing you
difficulties Mr Speaker but again I say
I'm I'm now I'm now 18 minutes into my
speech and have barely been able to get
started with the critique that I wish to
make about the way that I have been
treated I am after all being excluded
from Parliament it's not a small thing