Page 543 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 February 1993
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Lamont: I take a point of order, Madam Speaker. Would you ask Mr De Domenico to cease interjecting so that we can at least understand or attempt to understand what Mrs Carnell is saying?
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Lamont. I believe that I was trying to do that.
Mr De Domenico: I will, Madam Speaker. I will abide by the ruling, as always.
MRS CARNELL: Hopefully, later on today, we will address the problem of domestic violence. We are acutely aware as a community - I am sure that everyone in this Assembly is aware, and I know that you are, Madam Speaker - that one of the greatest causes of violence at home, domestic violence, is unemployment. When one or both parties are out of work the problems really become nasty. That is why, I believe, we have the level of escalation of domestic violence that we have.
I do not believe - contrary, I think, to the Labor Government - that women are stupid. I think the Prime Minister in his speech yesterday treated women in Canberra, and women in Australia, as total fools. When he said in his speech yesterday that he would pay women who stay home an extra $60 a fortnight - we now know that that was absolute rubbish - he was treating every woman in Canberra as an absolute idiot. We now know that he is cashing up the dependent spouse rebate - that is all he is doing - and increasing it by an extra $4 a week. That is $8 a fortnight, not $60 a fortnight. As the women in Canberra are not fools they will know that women in Canberra, under Fightback, will get an extra $300 a year from the dependent spouse rebate and there will be an extra $1,500 for all of those whose family income is under $30,000 and who have three children. That is much better than $4.
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (4.04): Madam Speaker, we have just heard from the Liberals opposite another bout of venom which is really directed at those out there who are interested in creating a little bit of confidence in business, both large and small, in the hope that there might be a growth in employment. During this election campaign all we have heard from the Liberals is groaning and whingeing. They have been talking the economy down. We have in here two examples from the small business sector who, instead of groaning and whingeing, should be out there trying to make their businesses grow and employ more people, not trying to dodge taxes or impose other - - -
Mr De Domenico: I employ more than you, Mr Berry. How many do you employ?
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr De Domenico!
MR BERRY: Get out there and create a few jobs. Get to work.
Mr De Domenico: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Mr Berry said that, instead of moaning and groaning, the people opposite, and he pointed to Mr Westende - - -
Mrs Carnell: And avoiding taxes. Get the "avoiding taxes" in.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .