Page 4260 - Week 14 - Thursday, 24 October 1991
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Mr Humphries: On a point of order: Mr Speaker, the allegation that the Minister appears to be making, in his desperation to deflect some blame in this matter, is that I am making personal attacks on officers of the Ambulance Service, particularly the one to whom he refers. Nothing that I said yesterday would reflect on that officer, but the comments that the Minister is making today reflect on me. I ask him to withdraw the assertion that I have in some way made a reflection on this particular ambulance officer. I have made no such reflection. I uphold his report; it is a good report; I support his report.
MR SPEAKER: You are debating the issue, Mr Humphries. I do not believe that there is anything that Mr Berry has said at this time that requires an objection like that. A personal statement from you later would be more appropriate.
MR BERRY: So, Mr Speaker, ambulance officers are being subjected to political attack to satisfy the greed of Mr Humphries for a political headline. That is just not good enough.
Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: The question was very simple and direct: Did the Minister receive any written briefings? With respect, the Minister has not touched on that question at all yet, and we are now more than five minutes into question time.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Berry, I would draw your attention to that point.
MR BERRY: They deserve to be protected, and I will stand by and protect them. Because this Minister wants to grab a greedy little headline over - - -
Mr Humphries: That is you, is it not? It is not me.
MR BERRY: It was another oversight. Although Mr Humphries wants to grab greedily for a headline, I am not going to stand idly by and allow ambulance officers to be castigated, and that is what is happening in this matter. So, Mr Speaker, all I can say to Mr Humphries is that he ought to lay off. It is the responsibility of management to investigate disciplinary matters or potential disciplinary matters within the ACT Government Service; it is not the business of members of this Assembly - - -
Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I again ask you to ask that Minister to be relevant. I have asked him: Are there any written briefings? It is a very simple question. It could be answered yes or no.
MR SPEAKER: I appreciate the question, Mr Humphries; so does Mr Berry. He is answering in his manner. I would ask you to conclude your answer now, please, Mr Berry.
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