Page 1213 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 March 1991
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MRS GRASSBY: Could I have a little quiet, please?
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order, Mr Stevenson!
Mr Stevenson: I was just challenged, Mr Deputy Speaker.
Mr Collaery: On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker: That was an intimidatory interjection, and I think we have had enough from Mr Stevenson. His voice is too loud and his behaviour is intimidating Mrs Grassby. I ask you to warn him.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Collaery. I have called Mr Stevenson to order. Continue, Mrs Grassby.
MRS GRASSBY: Not only is Mr Stevenson able to push those barrows in this Assembly; he is also able to do it through the media. These will be the organisations, I am sure, that will be very happy to come to Mr Stevenson's aid at election time. The Federal legislation will not protect the large parties, as the Liberals would like you to believe. It will at least give smaller parties a chance. They do not have the amount of money that large parties can raise and, as we all know, TV advertising is the most expensive form of media advertising we can get.
As my leader, Ms Follett, said, the Bill the Federal Government wishes to bring down will bring us more into line with most countries in the world. It will make elections truly fair and democratic. Of course, we will have all the advertising agencies in Australia objecting to this, as well as the TV stations, because this is their living. If we kill the goose that lays the golden egg, we will hear all the people who gather the golden eggs screaming like mad - the advertising agencies, the TV people, all sorts of people.
I fully support the Federal Government on this move. Lastly, I congratulate the Residents Rally - although Mr Collaery is not going to speak on this - because they realise that a community-based party cannot afford to pay for electronic advertising to voice their concerns. With only 20 members Mr Collaery is entitled to broadcast his message, but where does he get the money to put it on the TV screen? He would not have it. The enormous cost is a handicap. The ALP in the ACT has nearly 1,000 members and can truly claim to be a community-based party, and it should not be restricted by the cost of political advertising.
The fact that Mr Stevenson has brought matter of importance into the house this shows that he wants to have TV advertising. He will have all these crazies, who have millions and millions of dollars to spend, pouring money into a campaign to get him re-elected so that he can push their barrow on guns and all these crazy things he raises. They do not mind that most of the people in Canberra see
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