Page 5059 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 27 November 1991
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spread of the very thing you are trying to stop. The very sensible thing you have in the first part of the Bill is going to be totally undermined. It is going to be totally undermined by what appears to me to be the prohibition stance in the rest of the Bill.
MR COLLAERY (12.20), in reply: Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I sympathise with Mr Moore and other speakers. The fact is that the procedures of this house are the ultimate cause of our problems at the moment. Members foreshadow detailed amendments after they have moved a Bill, and governments do so at the same time, and you are not allowed to speak to your detailed amendments until the in-principle stage is finished. If the amendments have been produced after the presentation speech you have to sit, like I do today, and go through the speculation on the floor because you are not able to explain the detailed issues and what is going on.
In future I will seek leave - I suggest this to other members; I have learnt from the Clerk - to make a statement so that I can explain what I am doing. I saw Mr Jensen attempt to give a detailed explanation of his amendment and he was put down because it was out of order. We need to look at the procedures of the house.
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Just a moment, Mr Collaery; that is a reflection on the Chair. It was not the correct time to do it. I would like you to withdraw that.
MR COLLAERY: Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I mean no reflection on you, of course. What I am saying is that we need to look at the procedures of this house. It is certainly no reflection on your ruling, if there was a ruling.
Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, it would have helped if members had had my presentation speech to hand because I said very clearly there that considerable difficulties had been involved in drawing the provision. I mentioned that the sale of videos interstate would in contract law apparently take place in the ACT where the act is not illegal. I mentioned the provisions of the Commonwealth Crimes Act. The problem, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, is that I want to explain it to members and I cannot see more than Mrs Nolan listening.
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Could I have a little bit more silence in the house. It is a bit difficult for Mr Collaery to be heard.
MR COLLAERY: Then people vote and they are not sure where they are.
Mr Kaine: It could be, Bernard, that we are already convinced and do not need to hear any more. Has that occurred to you?
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