A Liberal politician has been booted from question time after failing to withdraw comments that accused Speaker Joy Burch of not giving her a fair hearing.
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The spat began when Minister for Children and Youth Rachel Stephen-Smith "laughed out loud" when Liberal MLA Elizabeth Kikkert asked her why the ACT had not followed NSW in setting a two-year maximum for children to be in foster care during Wednesday's question time.
Under the laws passed by the NSW parliament last November, birth parents have two years to be reinstated as primary carers before the child must be found an alternative permanent home.
The laws are intended to stop children spending years bouncing between foster homes, although there are concerns they could lead to another stolen generation.
But the minister sniggered as she told the Assembly: "The NSW government has absolutely not committed to a two-year maximum in out-of-home care".
The declaration led to a verbal sparring on the floor, during which Ms Stephen-Smith yelled: "What, they're going to kick kids out after two years are they?".
Mrs Kikkert sought leave at the end of question time to make a personal explanation, saying she felt "mocked" by the minister.
But Ms Burch said she was seeking to continue the debate and ordered her to sit down.
"If every member will stand because they feel mocked particularly in question time or in a debate we would have a very distracted day," Ms Burch said.
Later during the adjournment debate, Mrs Kikkert departed her speech about Waitangi Day to accuse the Speaker of shutting her down "under pressure from your side".
"I may not be as pushy as the Chief Minister but I deserve a fair hearing and fair treatment this place," Mrs Kikkert said.
On Thursday morning, Ms Burch said those comments were a reflection on her impartiality as chair and said Mrs Kikkert should withdraw, but postponed further action until Mrs Kikkert was on the floor.
Mrs Kikkert did not surface in the chamber until question time, at which point Ms Burch halted proceedings to ask Mrs Kikkert to recall her imputations.
"I feel very privileged you’ve brought up this matter in the middle of question time," Mrs Kikkert said.
"Just withdraw, Mrs Kikkert," Ms Burch said.
"Thank you very much. I understand this speaker is disturbed through her own interpretation of my words and I’d like to reassure the speaker that wasn't my intention," Mrs Kikkert continued.
"Just sit down. Mrs Kikkert, sit down. Mrs Kikkert, you are now named," Ms Burch said.
"What? I withdraw!" Mrs Kikkert protested.
Being named by the Speaker triggers a vote, where the legislature votes on whether to suspend the dissident member.
First-time offenders are ejected for three hours, but those named for a second time in a calendar year are sin-binned for two days, while three or more infractions means three days.
Mrs Kikkert's Liberal colleague Jeremy Hanson was also booted last year for talking back to the Speaker, while Vicki Dunne went so far in 2017 as to tell Ms Burch she had a "different set of rules" for the Labor members.
However accusations of bias against the Speaker are not unheard of. The Liberals also accused Green Shane Rattenbury of political bias when he was Speaker in 2012, after he ruled the party had misused taxpayer funds.
