Page 3901 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 23 October 1990
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forgotten the fact that when he was Minister crews were also contracted to cover race meetings and other occasions like that.
Mr Berry: Fifth crews - extra crews.
MR HUMPHRIES: No, not fifth crews; operational crews, Mr Berry. Mr Berry is telling an untruth to this Assembly. Operational crews covered occasions when he was Minister, and that meant that some person was not working the rostered duty. I think that Mr Berry ought to - - -
Mrs Grassby: Mr Speaker, I think he should withdraw that statement "untruth" - I really do - because it is a reflection on Mr Berry. Mr Berry is not telling an untruth; he has the facts and the figures. Therefore, I think he should be made to withdraw that statement.
MR HUMPHRIES: It was untrue.
Mrs Grassby: He is calling him a liar. It is the same thing. You have made other people withdraw that.
MR HUMPHRIES: I will come back tomorrow with a motion of - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Humphries, I ask you to withdraw it. If you want to move a motion along those lines against Mr Berry you are entitled to do so. Could you withdraw and rephrase your comment.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, the statement is true. What Mr Berry said was untrue, and I will be quite happy to substantiate that and bring this matter up and prove that it is the case.
MR SPEAKER: That is what I say. You can use it as a substantive motion, but in the meantime would you - - -
MR HUMPHRIES: I am in the middle of responding to an MPI. I do not know how I could do it right now. I would be very happy to do it at the conclusion of the MPI.
MR SPEAKER: Would you withdraw the comment now and substantiate it later?
MR HUMPHRIES: For the moment I withdraw that comment. In his press release Mr Berry also says:
Last night a Canberra medical centre required an ambulance for an asthmatic and had to wait unduly until an ambulance had completed another job.
That was also not reported to the authorities, and one has to wonder why that was the case.
Mr Berry: They do not do anything; that is why they do not report it. Why waste time?
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