Page 4370 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 21 November 1990
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tensions in our Alliance, that they will be back up in this Territory. They are killing each other out there, and we see that lift rattling when they go up together.
The Government has sought an opinion pursuant to the advice proffered by Mr Brazil. That does not suit the Opposition. The Opposition has brought forward, and wishes to bring forward, some private members' Bills. If ever we get to your private members' Bills, there is going to be a delicious shiver of pleasure through the Government Law Office and me, because your Bills are so faulty it is unbelievable. There is a human rights Bill on the table - if we get to it today, and we should be debating issues like that - which is a dead copy of the Northern Territory draft Bill.
Mr Berry: I raise a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker - relevance.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Human Rights Bill is certainly relevant. Perhaps you might have made your point of order a bit earlier.
Mr Collaery: It is No. 3 on the paper.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: That is on the paper. Continue, Mr Collaery.
MR COLLAERY: That Bill is an extraordinary document. We saw in yesterday's Canberra Times a letter from Ms Follett, which I have responded to and which response was not published, and in that letter she talked about her Bill. The Bill bears a curious similarity to another private member's Bill introduced in August in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. And, amazingly, this Human Rights Bill that we are supposed to be gagging has these features of that Bill. The Opposition Leader, when she was in government, said that she would, for example, have religious or political - - -
Mr Berry: I raise a point of order. I do not think we are debating that Bill to which Mr Collaery refers. We are debating the adjournment.
MR COLLAERY: We are responding to the gag allegation.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes. Mr Collaery, I do not think there is any need for you to get into actual details of the Bill. That is probably getting a little bit away from the motion.
MR COLLAERY: I accept your ruling, but I say that we have been accused of wishing to avoid debate. I cannot wait to debate some of these private members' Bills. Their drafting is so faulty. But the proper and prudent course of conduct is to settle the legal situation finally and forever.
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