Page 4463 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 1993
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Mr Humphries: I rise on a point of order, Madam Speaker. Mr Berry is reading from prepared notes in answer to a question that has not been asked of him. He has been asked a precise question by Mr De Domenico. I ask you to direct him not to stray into irrelevant matter.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Berry is answering what he believes to be the question. He will continue to answer.
MR BERRY: I have been asked a very political question, so you will get a very political answer. As I said, VITAB - - -
Mr De Domenico: Is it a private company or a public company? Is it registered in Vanuatu or London Circuit?
MR BERRY: No, VITAB does not seek business from within Australia. As I said to you in my opening remarks in response to your question - - -
Mr De Domenico: But you signed the contract.
MR BERRY: No; I said to you that the chairman of the ACTTAB board signed it, among others.
Mr De Domenico: You also said that you did. I will quote it to you, if you like.
MR BERRY: No. I came back to this chamber and announced who signed it, and you know it.
Mr De Domenico: That was after you got it wrong the first time. You do not know anything about this, do you?
MR BERRY: I am sorry - - -
Mr De Domenico: Nothing - tax laundering, money laundering, the whole lot. You know nothing about it.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr De Domenico! Mr Berry is attempting to answer your question. If there was a little more order, he may get to the end of that answer.
Mr Kaine: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The point at issue is an answer the Minister gave. Surely he knows whether he signed a contract or not. He has given the house two different answers. At one time he said that he did; the second time he said that he did not. The Minister must know whether he signed such a contract.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Kaine, Mr De Domenico is perfectly free to ask that as a supplementary question.
MR BERRY: You can always tell the billygoats by the way they butt in. Good on you, Mr Kaine.
Mr Kaine: Let us see how you butt out, Minister. Did you or did you not sign the contract?
MR BERRY: I announced in this place that it was signed by the chairman of the ACTTAB board, among others.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .