Page 1187 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 March 1991
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down the priority list, although I did hear Mr Collaery say that it was a dynamic list and that we can expect that some of those things might change. I suspect that many of their - - -
Mr Connolly: A bit like the budget.
MR BERRY: Yes, the dynamic budget from the dynamic Treasurer. Some of these will drop off the end. In fact, I think most of them will. One other aspect of Mr Humphries' comments which the Attorney-General should be concerned about was the dig - in fact, the slam - at legislators in Minister Collaery's area. His own legal drafting office has been responsible for drafting legislation for the Opposition, as is appropriate. For them to be branded as tame, I think, is an absolute insult - - -
Mr Collaery: Who used the word "tame"?
MR BERRY: Mr Humphries. For Mr Humphries to refer to those draftspeople as "tame" is absolutely outrageous. It is deserving of an apology to those people. They, in fact, have dealt with legislation which they would not draft for the Labor Party. That was in relation to the Tobacco Bill. The innovative legislation that was kicked off by the Labor Party was drafted for the Government. We accept that the drafting office will not, on occasion, draft things which have been programmed by the Government. We will then have to seek our own alternatives in respect of that. When it comes to this Minister describing those workers as "tame" because they draft legislation for the Opposition, I do not think that does anything for the Minister. In fact, it is a shameful position for the Minister to adopt to attack those people who are clearly acting in accordance with their instructions, as it were. I believe that there is an apology due.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation under standing order 46.
Mr Berry: Why do you not wait until the debate is over?
MR HUMPHRIES: It is over. I do not want to listen to talk - - -
Mr Berry: Mr Collaery has a right of reply.
MR HUMPHRIES: He is giving way to me.
MR SPEAKER: Is this a personal explanation? Do you claim to have been misrepresented?
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, it is. Yes, Mr Speaker, I do.
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