Page 1864 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 May 1990
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Mr Collaery: On a point of order, Mr Speaker - - -
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: He has withdrawn the words "deliberately placed" - - -
Mr Collaery: He has to withdraw the context and import of his words, Mr Deputy Speaker. He is persisting in trying to get on the record so he can photocopy and send off to all his little Labor scrubbers all over town this conclusion now. That is what he wants to do. I ask that he withdraw it or be named.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Mr Collaery, the member has withdrawn what I consider to be offensive words.
MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, it gets to the point at which one cannot be critical of these people opposite, otherwise he is seen to be a - - -
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Just continue, Mr Berry. You have withdrawn the offensive words. Just continue with your speech.
MR BERRY: These figures were known to be incorrect, Mr Deputy Speaker, because they were incomplete. They did not completely cover the hollow promises that the Minister had made. Why did he do that, Mr Deputy Speaker? It was because he had to choose costings which were different from Labor's, otherwise he would have looked stupid - more stupid than he looks sometimes - and there had to be some sort of deception to accomplish that. Those uncosted promises were put before this place to keep the remnants of the Residents Rally happy enough to dump their mandate and cheat on those who elected them.
Mr Deputy Speaker, there will be plenty said about Mr Humphries' behaviour in relation to these matters, but what he did not do was cost the promises. If he had, the figures would have added up to roughly the same as it would cost to keep the Royal Canberra Hospital open, which is well known, in the figures that Mr Humphries used.
It is no good scurrying off and doctoring up the figures just to suit your own ends. The figures have been supplied by an expert in the field of health management, and they will stick. There has been a fraudulent distortion of these figures to keep the Residents Rally onside.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker; he asserts that there has been a fraudulent distortion. That is an implication against the Minister, and I ask him to withdraw it.
MR BERRY: I did not say anything about the Minister.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think you should withdraw the word "fraudulent", Mr Berry.
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