Page 254 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 1991
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Mr Collaery: I ask Mr Moore to assure the house that he is not going to go further and refer to any current legal proceedings.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Collaery, for that advice.
MR MOORE: Yes, I assure the house that I shall not do that.
Mr Collaery: You will be stopped if you do.
MR MOORE: Yes. In the interests of overriding public interest, I urge the Speaker to table the papers that I presented last night. Westpac's claims of sub judice - no, I will withdraw that. I would say that any right of Westpac ought be forfeited in the public interest, and I believe that this situation will really be resolved only after a major inquiry in the nature of a royal commission or something along those lines. Obviously that is not the responsibility of this house, but I think it could well be a response that we would expect from the Federal Parliament and certainly it is a response that seems appropriate to me.
Chinese New Year : Valentine's Day
MRS GRASSBY (4.35): I rise to speak about a group of people in this city as well as all over Australia. I hope that Mr Collaery will take note, seeing that he made some rude remarks about my branch. I refer to people of Chinese background who have become Australian citizens. Today is a very important day to them, because it is known to us as Chinese New Year. I would like to mention to the house that in Chinese it is - - -
Mr Jensen: Kung hei fatt choy.
MRS GRASSBY: Kung hei fatt choy. Isn't Mr Jensen so clever! He is like the river - the biggest part of him is his mouth. Mr Speaker, I wish all the Chinese in this city of Canberra, whether of Australian nationality these days or born in this country of Chinese parents, a very happy new year. I welcome them as citizens in this country. I think the thing that makes this country great is that it is a multicultural country. Australia is one of the most multicultural countries, next to Israel. I do hope that tomorrow they have a wonderful day.
Of course, tomorrow is also Valentine's Day, and I hope the members of the Government remember that. Instead of having their nasty little cracks at us, they might think of being little valentines for a change and being pleasant to my leader, Rosemary, who is always pleasant and smiling; to me; to Mr Berry, who has a wonderful nature and whom everybody likes; to my co-partner, Mr Terry Connolly, who
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