Page 2057 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 8 September 1992
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Mr Humphries: He is dressing it up.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Humphries, that is allowable. He has made no direct improper imputation and he withdrew any possible inference that there was one; so I would ask you not to continue with it.
MR HUMPHRIES: Then, Madam Speaker, I withdraw that.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: I would say that the ordinary person in the street would say that Mr Berry is rather twisted and bitter about the comments Mrs Carnell has made and is telling lies to the Assembly. That is what the ordinary man in the street would say.
Ms Follett: Madam Speaker - - -
MR HUMPHRIES: The ordinary man in the street would think that is the case, Madam Speaker. I am not saying it, of course, Madam Speaker; but the ordinary man in the street might.
Ms Follett: Madam Speaker, I take a point of order. We have heard Mr Humphries, in the course of his so-called contribution to this debate, use the words "hostility" and "vendetta" in relation to Mr Berry, and also refer to Mr Berry as telling lies. I think those remarks would all be considered offensive under standing order 54, and I ask Mr Humphries to withdraw them all.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Humphries, I ask you to withdraw any improper inference, in the same way as I asked Mr Berry to withdraw. We are getting into levels of debate which I will not countenance. There is no provision under the standing orders for improper imputations or inferences about other people's behaviour to be uttered. I ask you to withdraw any of those statements, and continue.
Mr Kaine: He had better withdraw it too.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Berry did withdraw.
Mr Kaine: The wording was the same.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! There will be no debate. Mr Berry has withdrawn. Mr Humphries will withdraw, and we will continue with the next speaker.
MR HUMPHRIES: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you.
MRS GRASSBY (9.07): As a member of the Select Committee on Drugs, I think it would be an absolute waste of time to refer this legislation to the committee. The committee has already had public hearings on methadone. We have enough information to bring out a report. It would be a waste of time to send two Bills to the committee. We are supposed to report by December. We will be lucky if we are able to do that. We have had many public hearings, and we really should be getting onto what everybody has told us at those public hearings. The things that are really worrying are the legal drugs - cigarettes and alcohol - and we seem to be doing nothing about them. We are wasting time here.
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