Page 2347 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 16 September 1992
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MR KAINE: I can understand that they are a bit sensitive about this. I think I have said enough.
MADAM SPEAKER: I was waiting with interest to see the relevance, and I will continue to wait with interest.
MR KAINE: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It is just as relevant as the lecture we had on DFAT. I would point out to Ms Ellis that I happen to have a daughter and a son-in-law in the foreign service. They have served in places like Kenya, Somalia and others. I know very well the conditions under which they work. I did not need the history lesson and the lecture from Ms Ellis as to the conditions under which they work. That was totally irrelevant. The building over here has nothing to do with when they were in Somalia or Washington; it has to do with when they are in Canberra, when they are not entitled to any better accommodation than any other public servant. That little lecture was totally irrelevant and we should address the issue.
Madam Speaker, before I sit down, I would like to move an amendment to the motion, and that is:
Omit paragraph (1), substitute the following paragraph:
"(1) supports the development of York Park for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade;".
Omit paragraph (3).
Ms Ellis in no way demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of any planned development. We do not even know what the plan is yet. How she can say that it is cost-effective, I cannot imagine. To pass that part of the motion would prove us to be shallow and to have no possible conception of what the end product is going to be. I submit that members of the Assembly ought not support paragraph (3).
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Kaine, because this is, in fact, two amendments, would you seek leave to move the two amendments together, please?
MR KAINE: I seek leave, Madam Speaker.
Leave granted.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Kaine. Everything else is in order.
Mr Berry: We would like to talk about them separately.
MADAM SPEAKER: You can talk about them separately now that leave has been given.
MR LAMONT (12.04): It is indeed a propitious time for us to be discussing this matter of private members business. I think that Mr Kaine and the Liberals, if they support the comments that he has made, should be congratulated. They should be congratulated, for this indeed is the greatest turnaround in anybody's political position that we have had the misfortune to see. It is nothing but a turnaround. There is a substantial difference between the position and the policies offered by the Hewson-Kaine Liberal team in Canberra and the Follett
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