Page 720 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 1990
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course, he gives me the right to reply to it, and I take great pleasure in doing so. These political cream puffs from cloud-cuckoo-land over here, who talk about being on the road to nowhere but who are themselves on the road to fantasy land, need to settle down - - -
Mrs Grassby: Mr Speaker, on a point of order, I object to being called a cream puff. I mean, the leader of the Government opens up his mouth and the wind blows his tongue around.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Please do not debate the issue, Mrs Grassby. I request you withdraw the comment, "cream puff", Mr Kaine.
MR KAINE: In connection with the lady in question, I will convert that to "powder puff", Mr Speaker.
Mrs Grassby: Thank you.
MR SPEAKER: That is a qualified withdrawal but provided Mrs Grassby is prepared to accept it, it is okay.
MR KAINE: If Mr Berry really wants to bring the Labor Party, not only at the Federal level, but at the local level, into the debate about asbestos, then it opens up a whole Pandora's box of interesting material. It is noteworthy at the moment that on this issue of grave importance to this community, which Mrs Grassby recognises as being so, neither the leader of the Labor Party nor the deputy have been in the house during the entire debate. They obviously have other more important things to do.
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; I think Mr Kaine ought to concern himself with the issue that is being debated, not - - -
MR SPEAKER: Please, do not debate the issue. Just give the standing order number and the few words extracted from that standing order. If you are talking about relevance, I will give directions. Please remain relevant, Mr Kaine.
MR KAINE: I submit that Mr Berry introduced the question of two Labor members of Parliament, and any comment that I make relating to that is just as relevant as it was when he introduced it. I am about to make some reference to that. We do indeed have two Labor members of the Federal Parliament, to whom he referred in that newspaper advertisement. One is a senator, the other is a member of the House of Representatives. One really has to ask, where have these two members been during the debate on asbestos? How is it that these two representatives of this community have allowed the whole debate in the Federal Parliament to pass by without comment. There was not one single word on the matter that Mr Duby referred to - the bill that the Federal Parliament foisted on the members of this community in connection with the asbestos removal program. Where were Mrs Kelly and Senator McMullan then? Where are they
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