Page 1273 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 16 April 1991
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clear from the outset that the Labor Party, and in particular I, have the highest regard for the professional attitude of the ambulance officers. Indeed, the ambulance officers have been very patient with the Government throughout the crisis in ambulance services in the ACT. It is, after all, those ambulance officers who have had to report late to incidents as a result of the staff shortages which have arisen because of the bungling of the Government over its management of - - -
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: If Mr Berry wants to make the point about being misrepresented, that is one thing; but to again debate the issue, as he did before, on taking a point of order is going too far.
MR SPEAKER: Yes. I uphold the Chief Minister's objection, Mr Berry. I believe that, if you have claimed to have been misrepresented, sticking to that point at issue would be the way to go.
MR BERRY: I have said enough on the matter. But I will say that Mr Humphries inappropriately asked me to answer a question during question time. I would have been, in the normal course of events, quite happy to answer questions if it had been in accordance with standing orders, but I could not. He asked me did I know how many ambulance officers had not observed some sort of industrial disputation within the Ambulance Service. I have no way of knowing that. It is not within my field of operations to be able to count those sorts of numbers.
All I know is that there was concern in the service because of the Government's bungling of the Ambulance Service. There were industrial disputes. I have to say that the industrial disputes and the campaign run by the Labor Party have brought the point home to the Government. At last they are starting to do something.
Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: Mr Berry is abusing the privilege of a standing order 46 statement and is making, obviously, what is a new speech on this whole matter.
MR SPEAKER: Yes. Mr Berry, I would ask you to conclude your comment there. You are bringing in another argument to do with a question asked, not where you had been misrepresented.
MR BERRY: There was a misrepresentation in the fact that in some way I should be able to answer the question, and that I was in some way inadequate because I had not answered the question, which I was unable to do within the standing orders of the Assembly.
MR SPEAKER: I believe that you have made that point, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: He also raised the issue of - - -
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