Page 1077 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 March 1991
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MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General and Minister for Housing and Community Services) (12.18): I have just a few comments. Largely, one could not cavil at what Mr Wood has said. Much of what he has said is a statement of reality and a statement that many of us share - an earnest hope to provide better services and so on. I want to concentrate more on dealing with what Mr Berry said, because he seems to have contributed nothing to the issues and he seems to have created another smokescreen. Mr Speaker, Mr Berry antagonises hardworking public servants when he makes these attacks. He is not really attacking the Government; he is attacking service providers and voluntary agencies who are working very hard in this area. I very much regret that he sees a political crown to win in taking these issues on.
As Mr Wood indicated, it is a very difficult area to talk about. I am not prepared to respond on the two cases - one of which I know a little about - because I have not had the privacy assurance from their parents. I assume that Mr Wood has. In the absence of that, I am not prepared to speak in this house about people in a situation where I could stigmatise them.
Mr Berry: That is something new from you.
MR SPEAKER: Order! I would ask you to withdraw that, please, Mr Berry.
Mr Berry: I do not think it was unparliamentary.
MR SPEAKER: I do. Please withdraw it.
Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I will repeat what I said. I said, "That is something new from you". Mr Collaery said that he was not prepared to stigmatise. He has stigmatised people before.
Mr Collaery: Why did you run the NCA from the front bench yesterday? You hypocrite!
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Berry, I ask you to withdraw it.
Mr Connolly: I raise a point of order.
MR SPEAKER: One at a time, thank you, Mr Connolly. Mr Berry, I ask you to withdraw.
Mr Berry: I have made no - - -
MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, I ask you again.
Mr Berry: I have said that he stigmatised people.
Mr Kaine: Get to your feet.
MR SPEAKER: Please rise.
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