Page 1034 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 1991
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seams. The Labor State governments, almost without exception, are in severe financial trouble, and you know it. They are in severe financial trouble because they have absolutely no sense of responsibility when it comes to public money. Their approach is that you rip it out of the public and - - -
Mr Jensen: Or you borrow it.
MR KAINE: You borrow it or you take it away from business and then you squander it, but you do not manage it. That is the same philosophy you have at the Federal level. The only exception is Queensland, where they inherited a very strong situation from a conservative government. They are living on the fat at the moment. We will see how long they last before they run themselves into financial difficulties.
MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, pursuant to standing order 46, I seek leave to make a personal explanation.
MR SPEAKER: Do you claim that you have been misrepresented?
MR BERRY: I do. During the debate on this issue, Mr Humphries cobbled together some words which, in my view, cast a slur on the character of Opposition members. Mr Humphries said that no facts had been presented to show up - and I use my words now - "the Government's mismanagement and incompetence". That is demonstrably untrue. This Minister has put these words together in a deliberate attempt to distort - - -
Mr Kaine: Mr Speaker, this clearly has nothing to do with a personal explanation. Mr Berry is about to defend the Labor Party. That is not what personal explanations are about.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Please get to the point, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: He said that no facts had been put forward. One thing that I will admit to, Mr Speaker, was that I said, at one point in time, that the budget in the hospital system would blow out by $8m to $10m. I must apologise to this house. I was wrong. According to the Chief Minister it was near $12m. I wish I had said $12m. What has also happened is that other facts have been placed before this place - I will only use a couple of examples - and one is that waiting lists under this incompetent Minister, Mr Humphries, have blown out by 60 per cent.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Berry, a personal explanation is acceptable, but I think you are off the track.
Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, under the same standing order, I would like to make a personal explanation of my own.
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