Page 806 - Week 03 - Thursday, 22 March 1990
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The people of his party and those who supported him in the ACT election might well ask where Mr Collaery's social conscience went. We all heard about it before the election. Was it all pious words? I suggest that it probably was; there was certainly no obvious intention to carry through with any of the positive action after the election, although before it he presented himself as a man of action who represented certain residents in the Territory. He was the great lawyer - he described himself as that - who was interested in civil liberties. All that knowledge, all that training, all that experience, but no commitment, no dedication and no action. That is the most important part - no action to redress the lack of protection of human rights for the residents of Canberra. This was all in spite of the fact that the Labor Government made this matter easy for him: the money was in the budget. Yet we heard him whingeing a moment ago that the Labor Government had done nothing.
Mr Collaery has a pretty short memory, again selective amnesia, because the no confidence motion in the Labor Government, moved by that very person over there - Mr Collaery - happened the day after the budget came down. What has the Alliance Government done about the money since? It has not done anything about spending it.
Mr Collaery: It is only good for six months. What do we do after six months?
MR BERRY: Well, you are in government now, it is up to you. You just cannot live off that which was prepared for you forever; you have to get up and do something.
It was very interesting that Mr Collaery raised the issue of merit in the ACT Fire Brigade. He ought to have a closer look at the legislation, and he will find that there is - - -
Mr Collaery: I applauded those developments. What is your view?
MR BERRY: You should go back and have a close look at that legislation and the history behind it. You should have a little bit of discussion with those people who are aware of the struggle against patronage and favouritism in that organisation. You can rest assured that when management in that fire service comes up with a solution to the sort of patronage and favouritism that has been attempted in the past - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Berry. I believe this is not the point being discussed.
MR BERRY: It is about human rights.
MR SPEAKER: I am sorry; if it is about human rights please continue.
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