Page 1392 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 12 May 1993
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We are told that the Federal Parliament will not take self-government back. I can just see these people talking in the Kremlin, and in Germany and so on, saying, "Boris, the Berlin Wall will never come down; freedom will never be achieved by the captive nations". I can hear the various people that made those statements saying, "The USSR will never be dissolved. It will never happen. The Government will never do it. The dictatorial government will never do that".
Mr Moore: I take a point of order, Madam Speaker. Standing order 58 provides that members shall not digress from the subject matter of any question under discussion, except under certain circumstances. I would suggest that Mr Stevenson, in talking about the Berlin Wall and so forth, is making somewhat of a digression.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, please link that to the main point of the debate and then proceed.
MR STEVENSON: The main point of the debate is that of course self-government can be abolished if people see themselves as public servants instead of public tyrants and dictators. The idea that the Federal Government will not back down is a nonsense. It has been proven so again and again.
Mr Moore: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I draw your attention to standing order 62, which deals with irrelevance or tedious repetition. We have certainly heard Mr Stevenson use this line time and time again. Could you draw his attention to the importance of standing order 62?
MR STEVENSON: What goes around, comes around. There will be a time when someone has a very important debate in which they want to make some points and finds a hell of a problem getting through with it. Whatever he can do I can do a lot better.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, it is quite in order for points of order to be raised, however taxing they may be to you.
MR STEVENSON: I will well recall and in the future will know.
MADAM SPEAKER: You will be granted an extension of time if you seek it. Would you please keep your remarks both relevant and non-repetitive. Please continue.
MR STEVENSON: The Federal Government backed down on the ID card and they backed down on the Bill of Rights, and they would back down on self-government if we had the courage to take the matter to them.
Mr Moore: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Once again, standing order 58 deals with digressing. I think that Mr Stevenson, in talking about the card and all those things, is really not being relevant to what we are doing.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, I think there is a challenge there for you to try to make the point of your argument a little clearer. Would you please continue.
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