Page 1315 - Week 05 - Thursday, 26 April 1990
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MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, the relevance is that Mr Berry says this Government and I are not concerned with the interests of workers. It is appropriate that I indicate my interest in the interests of workers and respond to those allegations. It gives me pleasure to put that one down. The fact is, when I was invited to speak outside this Assembly to a protest gathering, mainly of unionists - - -
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; this is not relevant. It has not got relevance to the debate. Heavens above, if he wants to raise an issue of misrepresentation - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! You are debating the issue, Mr Berry. Please remain relevant, Mr Collaery.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, on that day in question I was delighted to take the opportunity to address the workers assembled in the square. Contrary to the understandings reached, a further speaker was aligned in the program and I was shouted down by a group of workers who were being whipped into a frenzy by comments from some of Mr Berry's colleagues. I came back into this chamber afterwards and thought, "Well, when I grew up in Wollongong, the workers allowed other workers to have a go, but it does not apply in this Territory". You were not prepared to let me, as a worker, have a go.
Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. It concerns relevance again.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Berry. Unfortunately I am trying to listen to two people at once. Please remain relevant, Mr Collaery.
MR COLLAERY: Yes, Mr Speaker. The right of workers to be heard is no different from the right of any of us workers to be heard, but there seem to be different rules for Mr Berry and the rest of us here. He can stand in this chamber, Mr Speaker, and allege that I regard workers as sheep, which he said.
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; Mr Berry would accept your rulings on it. I hope that Mr Collaery does and remains relevant.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, I am delighted finally to get an admission from Mr Berry to the effect that calling workers sheep is not relevant. Of course it is not relevant, Mr Speaker. I never suggested such a thing. This is important legislation. It deserves the support that it is getting from this Government without the diversionary tactics that the sole member of the Opposition present is trying to import to the debate.
MR KAINE (Chief Minister) (11.41): In the absence of any member of the Opposition other than Mr Berry, I guess the Government has got to continue to carry the debate on this
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