Page 1343 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 16 April 1991
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into or whatever the structure is. You can be sure that this fence will put some ugliness into the middle of Commonwealth Park. Mr Humphries, I really think that the Government response to this report is totally and entirely and completely inadequate. I urge the Government to reconsider this response and to weigh up whether we do really need to spend that much of taxpayers' money, albeit Commonwealth taxpayers' money, and proceed with this one.
Mr Humphries: It has to be spent on the stage either way, Michael. We have no choice.
MR MOORE: Well, spend it on the stage on something reasonable.
MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General) (9.33): Mr Speaker, I turned the radio on a few weeks ago and I heard Mrs Grassby saying, "Here is a government spending a hundred and something thousands on putting a fence around Stage '88 when people are starving", or something. That was another extraordinary comment. We have heard her come into the Assembly tonight and applaud the situation, so I really - - -
Mrs Grassby: I did not applaud putting a fence around it. I said, "No fence around it. Stop wasting the money".
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR COLLAERY: Mrs Grassby knew that that was Commonwealth funded money. I think it does her no credit and the political process of this Assembly no credit when those sorts of extraordinary comments are made on the radio. I thought the statement was very unfair. It was not local money that is available for welfare, Mrs Grassby - through you, Mr Speaker - in this Territory. It was not a matter of welfare funds being diverted for a fence, and I thought that sort of comment was not on.
I have nothing further to say, other than to remind Mr Moore that that will be one of the most public temporary fences in Canberra. I am sure that the members of this Assembly are going to keep a close eye on how long any temporary structure stays up after an event. I think the proposition put forward by Mr Humphries will allow itself to be quite easily policed, almost directly, by members of this Assembly who will perceive if Mr Humphries is not abiding by the arrangements that he puts up.
MR JENSEN (9.35), in reply: As I presume there is no-one else wishing to speak on this, as the chairman of the committee and the one who brought the report to the Assembly, I will be closing the debate.
I am disappointed that the Minister has chosen not to accept what I considered to be the reasoned arguments within this report for not constructing a fence. We supported spending the funds on much needed additional
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