MR Squiggle turned state Parliament upside down yesterday, according to the opposition.
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Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff has been nicknamed after the popular children’s television show for using a blackboard in question time that resulted in Speaker Elise Archer reprimanding all members.
Mr Rockliff presented the prop to give opposition parties an ‘‘F’’ for allegedly not supporting an additional 108 police, $76 million in health spending and Gonski funding by voicing opposition to the government’s wage freeze bill.
An uproar followed, and Ms Archer suspended question time for the first time under her reign as Speaker after several warnings.
‘‘I have always allowed the cut and thrust, but that was well beyond the cut and thrust of the usual question time,’’ Ms Archer told the members.
‘‘It was completely out of order and chaotic,’’ she said.
Opposition Leader Bryan Green said the prop was a tactic to avoid scrutiny on the public sector wage freeze legislation, which was expected to be debated last night.
‘‘When they were put under pressure today the Parliament was shut down,’’ Mr Green said.
‘‘Mr Squiggle drew all over his blackboard and ended up turning the whole Parliament upside down,’’ Mr Green said.
Mr Green told Parliament the government was using ‘‘bully boy tactics’’ on the upper house, after warnings of 500 job losses and a damaged credit rating should the legislation not pass into law.
Attorney-General Vanessa Goodwin said it was ‘‘absolutely preposterous’’ the government was bullying the upper house.
‘‘It is quite proper that the Legislative Council is fully informed as to the implications of not supporting this bill,’’ Dr Goodwin said.
Unions took the opportunity to again lash out at the government, saying the wage freeze legislation had been condemned by the International Trade Union Confederation.
Unions Tasmania president Roz Madsen said the government had ‘‘never attempted to negotiate with unions’’.
However, Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the government met with unions twice.
‘‘At no time did unions put forward a considered response and they still haven’t offered a serious alternative, despite the fact I wrote to them again earlier this month,’’ Mr Gutwein said.