Page 4754 - Week 15 - Thursday, 16 December 1993
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You want me to register a tractor that crosses the road once in a Halley's comet when some straggler comes from interstate! You've got to be joking". The shepherd made such a racket that he was also charged with driving a vehicle using diesel that was meant for use only on the property. His tractor was impounded.
Meanwhile, up at Mount Stromlo, the viewing decks were crammed full of those wanting to see Halley's comet as it lit up the sky. Unfortunately, it came and went without anybody seeing it at all. "What did you expect?", said a spokesman from the North Duffy residents group. "We told you that you would not see anything up there if the development went ahead in that area. So you do not get to see the comet. Tough!".
Having recovered from the birth, the woman decided to cook a meal on an old wood stove. After 20 minutes there was a knock on the door, which set the family scrambling and the baby wailing. A representative from the Environmental Protection Agency mumbled something about the chimney smoking for more than 15 minutes and they had to pay a fine of $30,000, or something like that. The new mother, Mary, got such a shock that she threw cold water on the stove to put it out. Smoke billowed out and up the chimney. Alas, another fine was forthcoming. A nearby neighbour, seeing the smoke, called the fire brigade, or was it the ambulance or perhaps the police? In any event, they all turned up and discussed the situation while the stable burnt to the ground.
Mother, babe and the male companion made their way into town and they were taken in by the Salvation Army. The next morning being a Monday, a social worker accompanied the mother to Social Security, where she assisted her in applying for the sole parent's allowance. Seven hours later the allowance was still not forthcoming. Apparently the mother experienced great frustration in trying to prove paternity, which is a requirement of the Child Support Agency. This family has been an inspiration to our community, as they have inspired compassionate and humane responses to legislative change. As next year, Madam Speaker, is the Year of the Family, I would like members to keep in mind that group as a possible Family of the Year for 1994.
MR WOOD (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for the Arts and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (4.21): Madam Speaker, it is more than strange that the Opposition has chosen to bring forward this remarkable matter of public importance today. In responding to this foolishness, I want to refer to the budget reply given by Mrs Carnell some months ago. I think it is rather disgraceful for the Liberal Opposition to raise this matter in the same year that Mrs Carnell gave an entirely irresponsible reply to the budget. Ms Follett, in her address in this debate, indicated the good sense and the responsibility of the Government's budget. It was a budget brought down in most difficult circumstances and it appropriately addressed the funding difficulties as a result of the reduction from the Federal Government. At the same time it met the needs of the ACT.
I was rather appalled two days later when Mrs Carnell gave her reply. It was very well considered, it had obviously had a lot of work, but it was entirely political and irresponsible. I read through it again just a little while ago. What Mrs Carnell did was to pull out every item of tax that she could think of, every little bit extra that the ACT community was required to pay just to bring us up to State levels of revenue raising - - -
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