Page 1390 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 12 May 1993
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Somebody is misleading this Assembly, because Trevor says that he thought he had been at a different summit from Mrs Carnell, and Mrs Carnell says that he left late. Mr Kaine said that he did not leave late. Somebody is misleading somebody. It seems to me that what has been discovered this afternoon is that Mrs Carnell is trying a populist line again. Whenever the Government does anything out there it is too high, too low, too fast, too slow, tax more, spend, tax less, too many, too little. She is trying to attract as much attention to her warm and fluffy self as she possibly can, and this has been just another attempt at that. Thankfully, it has failed and she has been exposed for it.
I think the most telling thing that has been said today has related to the new world record that my colleague related to you a little while ago. Mrs Carnell, in a couple of sitting days, has had people editorialising against her and has been discovered as a result of this dodgy deal, this attempt to present herself as all things to everybody out there in the community. No, the Labor Government will not support this shonky motion by Mr Dennis Stevenson, but it has helped us expose Mrs Carnell for what she is - a populist. Thank you. Dennis, you can rail at us all now.
MR STEVENSON (5.07), in reply: To do so in 10 minutes and rebut some 16 statements is beyond me. However, I will try to deal with a few of the more bizarre. First, there is the idea that we should be an equal partner with the States. People do not care about it. What does it mean? Does it mean anything practically, apart from the fact that pollies can fly around Australia on their unaccounted for cash and enjoy the high life? What does it mean to the citizens of Canberra who pay taxes, rates, fines and fees and have had their water allowances and other things reduced? What does it mean? It may mean something to you; it does not mean much to the people of Canberra.
The Chief Minister began with her usual tactic that they teach you in socialist school; when you have nothing worth while to say you make false accusations. Let us look at the false accusations that she made. She said that I was saying that if we did not have self-government we would not have to pay for our own health, education and policing. Is that true? No, that is not true. What did I say? I acknowledge that the ACT citizens would have a responsibility for paying taxes for health, education, and law and order.
She also said, "He did not tell us who would look after health, education and policing", and I said that it was the Commonwealth Government. If the Pinocchio affliction was real, perhaps the Chief Minister would have a nose that would rival the Black Mountain tower. She said that I did not address the question of whether our State-like government should be abolished and replaced with a council. What an absolute absurdity! These are misleading statements and they are deliberately so. I said that it was undemocratic and unwanted; that 70 per cent of people voted against that form of government. I said that it was unnecessary - - -
Mr Berry: Madam Speaker, I take a point of order. I think Mr Stevenson has implied that the Chief Minister has misled the Assembly. He should be forced to withdraw that immediately.
MR STEVENSON: That is exactly what she said about me.
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