Page 662 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 1991
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MR SPEAKER: Thank you. The Chief Minister has withdrawn. Yes, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: As he was so offended by what I have just said, I am quite prepared to withdraw that, provided he withdraws those dreadful statements that he made in the - - -
Mr Kaine: I already did.
MR SPEAKER: The Chief Minister has, while you were talking, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: Okay. I will restate the position.
Ms Follett: Could you ask him to speak up next time. I did not hear it.
MR SPEAKER: I heard it.
Mr Kaine: If he would stop talking while I did so, he would hear it.
MR BERRY: The fact of the matter is that the involvement of the Executive Deputies in Assembly business is endorsed by the Chief Minister. He told us that this morning in as many words. That is in the transcript. Object to that!
This Government, by its own inaction, is working to undermine the effectiveness of committees of this Assembly and is therefore not earning its money in relation to its job in this Assembly. It seeks to ensure that the community of the ACT does not get proper service from its committees. They are not committees that are independent of the Government; they are a wing of the Government. There is no doubt about that. Let us not have any more of this claptrap about people who refuse to accept an absolutely unacceptable position not earning their money. We are doing the right thing by the community by not being involved in this fraud.
Dr Kinloch: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I am not engaged in any fraud. I ask him to withdraw that comment.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, I take your point, Dr Kinloch. Please withdraw that.
Mr Berry: I made no point against Dr Kinloch.
MR SPEAKER: No, but you made it against the whole of the Government.
Dr Kinloch: You made it against the Government. There are 10 of us in the Government.
MR SPEAKER: Order! The point was that you accused the Government of fraud.
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