Page 1451 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 1 May 1990
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Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; I think the issue of digression arises in the course of Mr Collaery's presentation.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Speaker, he takes so long to uncoil himself from the desk that I have lost a minute before he is on his feet. I am entitled to a repechage every time Mr Berry - - -
Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, there is some imputation that there is something wrong with being tall. The people who are usually concerned about that are short people.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR COLLAERY: For the sake of order, Mr Speaker, whatever Mr Berry wishes me to withdraw, I will.
Mr Berry: No, I am not concerned about any withdrawal; it is digression that I am concerned about.
MR SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. Please, Mr Berry, resume your seat. Mr Collaery, please proceed.
MR COLLAERY: Now, Mr Speaker, I saw this evening one of those more amusing experiences in my life, but convention requires me not to respond in kind. Truly, cooperation is really important to run this Territory in the short term and it is most important that the Assembly come together on some issues at some stage in terms of budget strategy.
We can score points all we like, but the fact is that there are substantial elements of this budget strategy statement by my colleague Mr Kaine that deserve the support of everyone in this house. If we continue to produce the type of destabilising behaviour and the mayhem that we have seen in recent weeks, the people of the ACT will become really jaundiced about self-government. They will not appreciate the genuine motives of most of us here in this Assembly.
Mrs Grassby: Ho-ho! I am sorry, Mr Speaker.
MR COLLAERY: Of course, we have heard again from Mrs Grassby. The fact is that there needs to be some sort of reformist program in this Territory to bring us down from the plateau of Commonwealth Federal expenditure. If Mr Kaine is prepared to take the unpleasant, unpopular decisions then you have got it good, members on the other side of the house, because we are going to take those decisions, come what may, to the ballot-box in 1992. We have got the courage to do that.
It would have been very easy for some of us to stay out of government and to have watched you, the Labor Party, mire this Territory further and to have seen how you manipulated some of the voices behind the pillar in bringing forward a variety of sham arrangements and sham cosmetic devices to
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