Page 42 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 1991
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MR DUBY: Thank you. We are also seeing the complete disintegration of the Labor Party here in the Australian Capital Territory, because what we are seeing here is the - - -
Mr Connolly: It is all clear. It is a cheap political stunt.
MR DUBY: There is nothing cheap about a Labor Party not endorsing the actions of their Federal partners in terms of Australian foreign policy and decreeing that the activity of our armed forces overseas is in some way a cheap stunt. Is that the appellation that you would apply to the activities of the Australian naval forces? The simple fact is that these folk do not support their Prime Minister, they do not support their Australian comrades in arms and they do not support the many members of the Australian community and the Canberra community who are currently performing their patriotic duty in the Persian Gulf.
Mr Connolly: It is the last refuge of the scoundrel. How well applied to you.
Mr Collaery: I take a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I ask Mr Connolly to withdraw the word "scoundrel".
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I do not think he was making that reference specifically towards Mr Duby. I think I will make a similar ruling here to what I did on the use of the word "hypocrisy"; that it was a general reference. Continue, Mr Duby.
MR DUBY: The simple fact is, as I said - and I will repeat it - that we are now seeing these people over here not supporting Canberran citizens, their fellow citizens of Australia, in relation to activities which have been initiated by their own Labor Minister for Defence, by their own Labor Minister for Foreign Affairs and by their own Labor Prime Minister. I feel that it is remarkable that this Assembly has to rely on what is supposedly an arch conservative, anti-Labor group which is in government to express the support of the people of the Territory for the actions of our Commonwealth Government. I think it is a very sad state of affairs and it certainly does not warrant further debate.
MR MOORE (4.30): I imagine that all members in this house condemn the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. It was a shameful act of aggression. However, I am saddened to think that so many of our community still believe that they can resolve violence by violence. I wonder when people will learn that to end war by fighting is an impossible dream. From 1914 to 1918 we had the war to end all wars. We had another from 1939 to 1945. The attitude of going to war in order to promote peace is, in itself, so ironic that it is absolutely foolish; yet it is a notion that is pushed again and again and again to justify war, and it is in this motion that has been moved by Mr Jensen.
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