Page 2270 - Week 08 - Thursday, 7 June 1990
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I want to turn briefly to Mr Stevenson. I forgot to mention something in respect of what he said. Mr Stevenson has said, effectively, that he agrees with the tax. He said that the other night when he moved an amendment suggesting that there should be a tax of not 40, but 400, per cent on X-rated videos.
This reminds me of the old story about Lord Byron. I have no doubt that many of you have heard it but I will repeat it anyway in case a reader of Hansard has not. Lord Byron asked a lady in a carriage - quite an attractive lady, I assume - "Madam, would you sleep with me if I gave you a million pounds?". The lady said, "Yes, I would, Lord Byron". He said, "Would you sleep with me for one pound?". She said, "What do you take me for?". He said, "We know what you are, madam; we are merely haggling over the price". That, unfortunately, is the situation with Mr Stevenson. He is as much a whore as anybody else in this Assembly who wants to make money from X-rated videos. The question is: what is your price? Mr Stevenson demands a very high price. This Government is going to demand as much as it believes it can get.
Mr Deputy Speaker, this is the difference between us and Mr Stevenson and the members of the Opposition, who are all, in the language I have just used, whores. I think the sheer hypocrisy being displayed on the part of all these people who support this motion ought to be exposed and brought to light. I would be tempted to go through and list some of the achievements of this Government with respect to areas other than X-rated videos - for example, in my own areas of health and education - if I believed that that would be at all profitable at this point. It is not a matter that I believe is relevant to this debate and so I will not do it. I have no doubt at all that when members of the Opposition attempt to do this they will be shot down in flames, as they ought to be, given that this is not a debate about health, or about education, or about welfare, or about public housing, or about whatever else the Opposition might care to raise. It is a debate about X-rated videos.
I think we should condemn this motion for the stupidity that it is and get on with the important business that stands on the daily program, and in particular get legislation of importance to the people of the ACT well and truly on the statute books.
MR MOORE (11.48): I find it ironic that the second no-confidence motion in this house should revolve to some extent around the X-rated video issue. It seems to me, and to most people I know in Canberra, that the X-rated video issue is basically a non-issue. It is a relatively minor issue and of minimal consequence to almost everybody but Dennis Stevenson.
It is interesting to note that the issue has been a matter for a conscience vote in the Rally, which in effect has
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