Page 1621 - Week 08 - Thursday, 28 September 1989
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Additionally, one would expect statistically that among four members of Federal Parliament representing this Territory, two, three or even four of them might be against fluoride. The fact is that the community is evenly divided. If you take a representative sample, you will get an even divide. If you take a smaller sample, you could well find that all in the smaller sample are against or for fluoride. There is nothing conclusive in the fact that four august members of the community are opposed to this Bill - if they are; if the reports are correct; if they have yet had the chance to debate it.
What they are really saying, if Mr Whalan's advice from his new source of information, the Canberra Times, is correct, is that they wanted more time to think about it. Well, we know the heavy and onerous duties of the member for Canberra. We know that she has to attend a number of important functions, many of them with Mr Whalan, and clearly she has not had time to get into that debate. Well, that is unfortunate, but now this debate will continue through the Social Policy Committee on the basis that there is a pure water supply - as far as we can have it - to the residents of the ACT.
MR BERRY (Minister for Community Services and Health) (12.34): Again, we see the Rally in water that is over its head. I must say that it is the most appalling demonstration of hypocrisy that has been wheeled into this house since the move-on powers were debated and the Residents Rally had to move backwards, I think with the speed of a startled gazelle. What we have seen is hypocrisy demonstrated by two members of the Residents Rally trying to make out an argument that what they have put up this morning is a reasonable step back from their position yesterday, as a response to the outcry in today's media.
I must say that Mr Collaery, in his usual form, has rationalised the hypocrisy pretty well, but nobody is fooled. I think that one of the first things that needs to be explained about the whole debate is that, yesterday, not very many people in this place could have made a balanced decision on fluoride, and you know it well, Mr Collaery. You know that the issues were flagged in this Assembly yesterday and you therefore misled the radio listening community when you said that the issues were not raised by this Government in this place yesterday, because they were.
Mr Collaery: In detail; scientific issues.
MR BERRY: I do not think anybody in this place yesterday was in a fit condition to consider it in detail, least of all you.
Mr Jensen: What were you doing for a month?
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