Page 193 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 17 February 1993
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Mr Lamont: If Dr John gets in, there will be nobody left in the ACT. Who would want to put up a building?
MR DE DOMENICO: We have 10,900 people in the ACT without any jobs at all, Mr Lamont, and without any chance of getting a job because of your Government's attitude. Mr Lamont, who is as white as the driven snow - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR DE DOMENICO: This former union thug stands up here in this Assembly and has a go at the Opposition.
Mr Berry: Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. I think the imputation was clear, and it ought to be withdrawn. To call somebody a thug is over the top in this place.
MADAM SPEAKER: There will be order in this Assembly. I was calling for order when that accusation was made. Mr De Domenico, I would like you to consider those words. It does sound rather unparliamentary to me to call someone a union thug.
Mr Kaine: Would you also call it unparliamentary - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: Excuse me, Mr Kaine. You will not interrupt me. I will close this Assembly if it becomes disorderly, Mr Kaine. I am speaking. Mr De Domenico, you will withdraw those remarks and we will have order in this Assembly.
MR DE DOMENICO: Madam Speaker, could I ask, through you, which particular word Mr Lamont - - -
Mr Berry: Just "thug".
MR DE DOMENICO: I beg your pardon. I am speaking to - - -
Mr Berry: I raised the point of order.
MR DE DOMENICO: No, hold on. I am speaking to the Speaker - or do you want to change chairs? Madam Speaker, can I ask you which particular word - was it the word "union" or the word "thug"? - Mr Lamont - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: It was "thug" that I took offence to. I will be satisfied if you simply withdraw the word "thug".
MR DE DOMENICO: Thank you. I withdraw the word "thug". For Mr Lamont, a former union heavy, to stand up in this Assembly and pretend that he is as pure as the driven snow and that everybody else concerned about payroll tax is a tax avoider is a bit rich.
Mr Lamont, your speech was prepared, I imagine, by the ACT Revenue Office. Madam Speaker, there is no way known that the Commissioner for ACT Revenue is, in one fell swoop, going to deny himself the power that he already has in comparison to the power that other commissioners of revenue have. If you look closely at legislation and the powers of the Federal Tax Commissioner,
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