Page 1154 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 March 1990
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and immediately deny them to a journalist who was listening. This is the type of gamesmanship we see from a rather juvenile, immature party here. Their Federal colleagues, some of whom are known to me and respected by me, are quite frankly ashamed of them and we know it.
More to the point, Mr Speaker, as for suggestions by Mr Moore and members of the Labor Party that the Rally has done its dash, I can assure you that in 1992, the people of Canberra will recognise us for the solid, courageous performance we are putting in. The suggestion that we are ratting on our causes is absolutely absurd. One of the suggestions one of the acolytes made to the press in recent days was that we had ratted on big bins. That sort of suggestion is nonsensical. This Government has not taken a decision on big bins.
Christopher Donohue has asked me to respond to something. There was a suggestion made in the debate on 28 March 1990 by Mr Moore that Mr Donohue had resigned because of decisions taken by the parliamentary wing of the Rally. I received a fax that afternoon from Chris Donohue, who remains a good friend of mine, and will continue to remain so over many years. In it he makes a number of comments about Mr Moore which, for the sake of peace, I will not repeat, but they are not very complimentary. They refer to election expenses which are yet to materialise to the Rally. He goes on to say, "I have not resigned my membership and will continue as an adviser to the Rally Executive on planning, environment and small business, on which matters I will now concentrate, instead of spreading my efforts over the whole field, including the administrative work and as President. Rah, rah, Chris Donohue". That was a happy note, a personal note, to me from Chris when he heard what divisive comments Michael Moore had made.
Mr Donohue also said in that note, "I will not be returning phone calls from Mr Moore". I suggest to the Assembly that we will, by 1992, gain a mature bunch in this Assembly, who will assist as a viable Opposition. Mind you, Mr Speaker, Mrs Grassby and Mr Whalan are part of our best assets, and I hope they survive pre-selection - I understand they are going to have problems. I trust that those good assets for us will come back to the Assembly, because they show up much of the Labor Party in the ACT for what it is, as my colleague Mr Duby said. It is a reflection of the bankruptcy of much of its Federal Party's politicking, which, clearly, the people of Australia are now recognising. They are deserting that party in droves. They will continue to do that and the only Labor Party people who will win will be those who have strong personal followings and who are respected by the people.
I suggest that the Alliance Government is going on to make Australian political history. We are a government of correct and proper balances. We are going to work ahead. As the Chief Minister indicated in his strategy statement
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