Page 4573 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 20 November 1991
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The more I look at these points, the more I wonder why it is that we do not require people who are convicted of assaulting others, or of committing crimes against others, to fully pay compensation themselves. I do not believe that it is something that the community should pay. I think we should make every effort to make sure that the assailant or the offender pays the compensation. We should pursue them for as long as it takes, and they should work to pay off that money for as long as it takes. I think this would be a far better solution to some of our problems.
MR CONNOLLY (Attorney-General, Minister for Housing and Community Services and Minister for Urban Services): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a short statement pursuant to standing order 46.
MR SPEAKER: Do you claim to have been misrepresented?
MR CONNOLLY: Yes, I do.
MR SPEAKER: Please proceed.
MR CONNOLLY: Mr Speaker, in her remarks on this ministerial statement on alcohol abuse, Ms Maher made the repeated assertion that both the Minister for Health, Mr Berry, and I, during a previous debate on this subject, had been laughing at the problem of alcohol abuse. I want to refute that assertion in the strongest possible terms. There was a political debate over the appropriate form of an inquiry, and certainly political points were scored on that issue; but, on the issue of alcohol abuse, I had reason recently to peruse that debate and Hansard shows very clearly that both Mr Berry and I dealt with that matter most seriously. I strongly refute the offensive suggestion that either Mr Berry or I laugh at the problem of alcohol abuse.
UNPARLIAMENTARY LANGUAGE
Statement by Speaker
MR SPEAKER: I draw members' attention to the Hansard record of the proceedings of the Assembly of 22 October where, at page 4 of the proof Hansard, Mr Berry referred to the former Government's consultation process in the redevelopment phase of the hospital system as "dishonest" because of a particular failure in the process. Mr Kaine then referred to Mr Berry as "the dishonest Minister". Mr Kaine later withdrew comment.
Although I believe that Mr Berry's choice of the word "dishonest" may be inappropriate, I do not believe that he was imputing any improper motives or reflecting personally on any member of the Assembly, as he was referring to
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