Page 3267 - Week 12 - Thursday, 19 November 1992
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Mr Berry: I can assure you that I will not transgress any - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: All right. Under those conditions then, I will let Mr Berry answer the question.
MR BERRY: If Mr Stevenson is so opposed to the regulation I advised the Assembly of yesterday, he can join with the Liberals and move for its disallowance; but, as the Assembly was informed yesterday, it will not succeed. You can express all the dissatisfaction about that that you like - - -
Mr De Domenico: Is that pre-empting the vote?
MR BERRY: But what - - -
Mr De Domenico: Or has a deal been done in the meantime?
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr De Domenico, please desist from interjecting.
MR BERRY: Of course, that is a matter for future consideration by the Assembly. The Government has made it clear that it is serious about its approach to dealing with the AIDS problem in the community. We are joining with people across Australia in the campaign against AIDS. If Mr Stevenson wants to stand out alone and work against the interests of that campaign, that is entirely up to him; but he should answer for it. We have heard all his "fairies at the bottom of the garden" stuff on condoms to try to discredit the use of condoms in the community. This is loopy stuff.
Mr Stevenson: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I believe that standing orders require that the Minister answer the question and not talk about fairies in the bottom of the garden.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, if fairies at the bottom of the garden are part of the answer, then I am afraid the Minister may continue about fairies at the bottom of the garden. Please continue to answer the question, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: In relation to Mr Stevenson's allegation against the Labor Party, if he were to write to the Labor Party I am sure that they would tell him that they are not involved in this at all. I will make no comment about the matter which is before the courts. It is appropriately dealt with before the courts. I also ask Mr Stevenson to desist from what I consider to be an irresponsible campaign against the very useful and successful campaign which is being waged right across this country against the spread of AIDS. The attitude of people such as Mr Stevenson is the sort of attitude that will hamper the best efforts of all of the people across this country who are interested in defeating AIDS.
MR STEVENSON: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. I note that the Minister did not answer any of the questions. Will reporting requirements for all other notifiable diseases be reduced to the functionally useless level of anonymous reporting now applicable to AIDS?
MR BERRY: Mr Stevenson's outrageous suggestion that there is something wrong with the way that we will be reporting AIDS and HIV in the ACT is a slight on this Assembly. For that sort of approach to be taken by a member of the community, even Mr Stevenson, is outrageous. I will not even give it - - -
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