Page 1653 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 30 April 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
the Opposition, and also the number of people who arrived at Mr Berry's press conference earlier today. I think that indicates very clearly just what little interest there is in this same tired old story.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I rose just to deal briefly with a few matters that Mr Berry did raise. The story has changed; the tune has changed. Originally it was that the Government did not act on the Treasury report. That was the great catchcry. That was the cry echoed today in the press release put out by Mr Berry on why I should resign from the ministry. However, it has changed since the end of question time. Now it is, "Well, you did act, but you did not follow it up closely enough. You did not do enough after the report's recommendations were implemented to see other issues through to the end". Well, I am afraid, Mr Deputy Speaker, that again the Opposition are relying on half-truths and their own faint glimmers - - -
Mr Duby: Half-truths? Untruths.
MR HUMPHRIES: Well, okay, I am caught out; in fact "untruths" is a better term to describe those words.
Ms Follett: I take a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Mr Humphries has accused us of using untruths, and I ask that that be withdrawn.
MR HUMPHRIES: That is an acceptable term. Speaking to the point of order - - -
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Unless you can point to either the Speaker or me ruling that "untruths" is unparliamentary, I will uphold its use. If you can point to that, I will come back to it, Ms Follett. I do not believe that that is the same as saying that he is dishonest or anything like that. I overrule you on that point, unless you can point to where that ruling has been made before.
Ms Follett: I take a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The imputation is quite clearly made against the previous speaker, Mr Berry, and I would ask again that it be withdrawn.
Mr Humphries: Mr Deputy Speaker, speaking to the point of order: Mr Berry's case previously was quite different. It was a personal allegation in relation to a particular Minister. It is also the case that many times in the past in this place words like "untruths" and "falsehoods" have been accepted by Mr Speaker, and I would ask you to rule that those words are not unparliamentary.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think that is the case, Mr Humphries, and that is why I am reluctant to accept Ms Follett's point of order.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .