Page 2307 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 June 1994
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In fact, the letter that we received last Friday after the close of business referred to "several further amendments". I am quoting directly from the letter signed by Mr Wedgwood. He said that several further amendments relating to section 50 transfers between the two services - these things that are dead issues, according to Mr Lamont - and the transfer of leave credits would not be available until Monday morning. It did not happen on Monday morning, Mr Lamont. When did it happen? On Wednesday morning, we assume; but, of course, because we did not get them until now we have not had an opportunity to read them.
When I spoke to the union people - I am sure that they came to see everybody yesterday - I said to them, "Mr Lamont says that section 50 transfers are a dead issue. Do you want us to withdraw support for those?". They said, "Wrong; Mr Lamont is wrong". Section 50 transfers are not a dead issue. In fact, they believe that they are very important. They said, "Please, Mrs Carnell, do not withdraw support for that because, yes, it is something we want. The other thing we want is for you not to debate this Bill today because it is not in a form that we believe is appropriate". They are not the only people who said that.
Mr Lamont: You have bought the three card trick again, Kate.
MRS CARNELL: Are you suggesting that the people involved do not tell the whole truth, Mr Lamont?
Mr Lamont: You have bought a three card trick again.
MRS CARNELL: Is that what you are saying, Mr Lamont?
Mr Lamont: No. You have bought a three card trick.
Mr De Domenico: No. You have bought a dud Bill.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr Lamont and Mr De Domenico, order!
MRS CARNELL: The fact is that this morning we have on the table amendments that we have not seen to probably one of the more important Bills.
Ms Follett: So have we, from you.
MRS CARNELL: Again, we are saying that this Bill is certainly not ready to be debated. Yes, there are amendments on the table that nobody has read. There is a huge number of amendments here today, including ones that have consequential effects. The whole situation is ridiculous. We are going to end up with a hotchpotch of a Bill; a Bill that does not achieve what we, as an Assembly, and what the people of Canberra want to achieve. Given another month or another couple of months, that could have been done. You on that side of the house have not given us one good reason why this debate has to happen today, or one reason why the stand-alone public service has to be in place by 1 July. Even your senior public servants have not been able to give us one good reason.
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