An impressive Matter of Public Importance debate took place in the House of Representatives this afternoon.
The MPI was devoted to the issue of how the House should treat Craig Thomson, the member for Dobell, in the light of allegations against him and his statement to the house yesterday.
Debate revolved around the nature of a censure and the arguments for and against suspending Thomson from the service of the House.
Mark Dreyfus, the Cabinet Secretary and Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, put the case against punitive action most effectively in terms of proper process and the presumption of innocence.
Tony Windsor, the independent member for New England, provided an interesting comparison with the 1992 downfall of former NSW Liberal Premier Nick Greiner in another hung parliament.
This is the complete audio of the MPI debate:
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