11:07a.m. 6th June 2008

| AAP

Sunshine Coast MP Peter Wellington has been suspended from state parliament for 21 days for his comments on proposed changes to media coverage of sittings.

State parliament’s ethics committee yesterday found the independent MP for Nicklin guilty of contempt for remarks he made about Speaker Mike Reynolds relating to a ban on TV news cameras filming proceedings in state parliament.

The committee recommended he apologise and be suspended from parliament for 21 days.

In state parliament today, Mr Wellington gave an unreserved apology to Mr Reynolds and the house.

Speaking in favour of the motion that the ethics committee’s recommendations be accepted, its chair, Labor MP Annastacia Palaszczuk, said Mr Wellington’s comments were “not spur of the moment”, having been made repeatedly and intentionally.

Ms Palaszczuk said the comments were at the “higher end of the scale” of reflecting on the chair.

“The role of the office of the Speaker is the cornerstone of parliament and respect for the speaker is essential for the power, authority and integrity of parliament,” she said.

“The member for Nicklin’s written and oral submissions indicate a lack of respect for the role of office of the speaker.”

Parliament passed the committee’s recommendations and Mr Wellington was escorted from the house.

The suspension relates to an incident that occurred in February, when Speaker Mike Reynolds announced new rules for media coverage of parliament, banning TV network news cameras in favour of vision supplied by an in-house system.

Parliament passed a resolution to set up an all-party committee to look into the new media coverage arrangements.

The ethics committee examined two statements Mr Wellington made during that debate, as well as seven comments he made to the media.

Among the comments examined was one in the Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper, in which Mr Wellington was quoted as saying: “I may get into trouble for saying this, but it is the height of arrogance for Mr Reynolds to do this and I ask that he rethinks it.”

He will not miss a sitting day during the 21-day period.

Mr Wellington said yesterday it would be “business as usual” at his electorate office.

Premier Anna Bligh last week said the cost of the new in-house camera system could not be justified.