Page 5659 - Week 17 - Thursday, 5 December 1991
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Gun Laws
MR MOORE: My question is also directed to Mr Connolly. Mr Connolly, you have certainly presented the notion that the ACT has some of the most advanced gun laws in Australia, and I think that is quite correct. During President Bush's visit, will those laws be breached by the President's security guards if they carry automatic weapons?
MR CONNOLLY: The gun laws in this Territory certainly are among the most advanced. I am expecting that Foreign Affairs will want to discuss with the ACT police the security arrangements in relation to - - -
Mr Collaery: You should not have mentioned it. You broke all of the rules.
MR CONNOLLY: Mr Moore, obviously, I should not answer your question. Mr Collaery says that I broke all of the rules. He is raving in the corner over there. The position has always been well understood. With senior head of state visits, on some occasions the Federal Government does permit people providing close personal protection to be armed. It is a matter for the Federal Government, to be handled by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. As I said, that is a matter which the Federal Government will no doubt deal with appropriately. But it is obviously a matter that agitates deeply - - -
Mr Jensen: What about the confirm or deny principle on security issues?
Mr Duby: What are you supposed to do - neither confirm nor deny that he is nuclear armed or something?
MR CONNOLLY: We do not know whether the United States has nuclear capacity; perhaps I should say that. But I can certainly say that I would doubt that close personal protection officials would be nuclear armed.
Electoral System
MR STEVENSON: My question is directed to the Chief Minister. Earlier today I gave notice of a question concerning the electoral system for the 1992 election. As the Chief Minister understands, this Assembly passed, I believe unanimously, a motion calling on the Federal Government to replace the remodified d'Hondt system with the Senate system of voting. Would the Chief Minister, on behalf of this Assembly, brief ACT Senators Bob McMullan and Margaret Reid to take advantage of the Australian Capital Territory Self-government Legislation Amendment Bill that will be debated in the Senate next week to move the necessary changes to ensure that the Senate system is in place for the coming election?
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