Page 1538 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 27 September 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
community to reach a sensible decision. It is my view that people do that every day of their lives; that they are able to discern when they are being lobbied, when they are being subjected to propaganda, when they are being snowed; and that they are able to reach sensible conclusions. I know that does not suit everybody in this house, but it is a fact. They are a sensible lot and they are quite capable of coming to a sensible decision, or at least to putting forward a sensible point of view when given the opportunity to do so. I would urge members of this Assembly to give them that opportunity, to reconsider their opposition to Mr Berry's notion of putting this matter to a committee, and to provide that opportunity to the general public.
I would also like to draw attention to the attitude of the people opposite who purport to be the alternative government. I think it is worth noting that there does exist at least some commonality of purpose on this matter, if not a commonality of view. I would like to draw attention to the stated positions of the alternative chief ministers in this chamber.
Mr Collaery, for instance, got to his feet and ridiculed this issue. He talked in a flippant fashion about his own children's experiences growing up in France without fluoride, or with fluoride - I do not remember which - but he never, at any stage, addressed the substantive issue. Nor did he ever, at any stage, address in a sensible fashion, the reasons why he seeks to deny the community of the ACT an opportunity to put their views in a sensible way on this issue. I think that is an extremely reprehensible manner in which to deal with an important health issue. Mr Kaine, on the other hand, we have not heard from yet; I trust that we will.
Mr Kaine: That is right, so do not quote me.
MS FOLLETT: I will not. I have no intention of quoting Mr Kaine on this matter.
Mr Prowse: Well, why refer to him?
MS FOLLETT: For the very reason that on this important issue on which this Assembly, as I see it, intends to make a decision today - a decision which could affect the health of every ACT citizen - we have not heard from one of the alternative leaders.
Mr Kaine: There is only one alternative leader and you have not heard from him yet.
Ms Maher: You have heard from two of them already.
Mr Duby: I raise a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. There are many more alternative leaders here.
Mr Kaine: How alternative are you, Craig?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .