Page 1521 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 April 1991
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MR BERRY: I also made it clear to government members that I felt that there was some hypocrisy in their position. They have not been able to bring forward socially advantageous legislation, yet many of them have the time to speak on this piece of legislation, which I described as trivial.
MR CONNOLLY: Mr Speaker, I also seek leave to speak under standing order 46.
MR SPEAKER: Do you claim to have been misrepresented?
MR CONNOLLY: I do, indeed.
MR SPEAKER: Please proceed.
MR CONNOLLY: The Chief Minister, in opening his remarks in this debate, said that Mr Berry and I had sought to say that Anzac Day was trivial. I found that most offensive and, in interjecting, I lost my temper. I apologise to you for that. I do not normally lose my temper in this place, but a statement that Mr Berry and I thought Anzac Day was trivial I found most offensive. I found it personally offensive because my grandfather was one of those Australians who were on the beach at Gallipoli. I have always had particular reverence for Anzac Day because of that family connection.
What I said and what Mr Berry said was that this legislation dealing with two-up was trivial. We said that Anzac Day is a very special day for Australians, and we maintain that. It annoyed me to see the Government trying to make cheap political points by glorying in Anzac Day and accusing the Opposition of somehow being anti that. It was as petty and as grubby as the attack that was made on my colleague Mr Berry in another debate, when a despicable statement was made suggesting that he in some way favoured the loss of Allied lives or would favour more Allied troops losing their lives in a conflict.
When conservatives, to make cheap points, attempt to wave the flag and cover themselves in patriotism and accuse the Labor Party of being somehow unpatriotic, I get annoyed. I was misrepresented by the Chief Minister saying that I felt Anzac Day was trivial. I said no such thing. The record will show that. If the Government wants to go out into the electorate - which it has clearly indicated it has done this for - and show these debates to the people, the community of the ACT will be disgusted at its cheapness.
MR JENSEN: Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.
MR SPEAKER: Do you claim to have been misrepresented?
MR JENSEN: I claim to have been misrepresented by Mr Connolly in his most recent remarks.
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