Page 2364 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 June 1994
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR LAMONT: Madam Speaker, I am confident that Mr Stevenson has not consulted with any of the organisations representing groups covered within this legislation. Yes, I am prepared to lay a small wager on that. If he has, I am confident that they would have said, "On a poll of us, Mr Stevenson, we do not want you to do this". I would suggest that, if Mr Stevenson went out into our community, he might be able to find 7.5 per cent or 3.6 per cent or one per cent or a half of one per cent of the population that may concur with him. I would suggest that Mr Stevenson's move this afternoon may have more to do with that outcome than with any matter of fairness and equity contained in this Bill. I would suggest that Mr Stevenson's amendments may have more to do with what will happen in the first two months of next year as far as an election for this Assembly is concerned than they do with good management.
Mrs Carnell: As if this whole Bill does not.
MR LAMONT: Mrs Carnell, it is obvious that you, through your actions, view this matter as something which you would like to see continue on so that you can filibuster through an election. That is not the position we wish to adopt. Mrs Carnell, you are grasping for issues. Last week you came up with a one-page budget strategy. When that did not work, you had to try to get hold of Chris Downy in New South Wales to create another issue. That has not worked. This week you try to do something else.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Madam Speaker: You have brought people back to the point of the debate before. I think you should do so now.
MADAM SPEAKER: I was rapidly coming to that conclusion myself, Mr Kaine. Mrs Carnell, the question before us is: That Mr Stevenson's amendments be agreed to.
MRS CARNELL (Leader of the Opposition): Madam Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation.
MADAM SPEAKER: Leave is granted, Mrs Carnell.
MRS CARNELL: If I do not, what happens in this place is that Mr Lamont continues to go on with stuff that simply is not true. The fact is, Mr Lamont, that I did not speak to Mr Downy before he put out the press release last week - categorically, end of deal. I did not speak to the Minister in New South Wales before he put out the press release. The reason I rang him then was that the media asked me for a comment, just as they asked you for one. Therefore, just as your office was on the phone to his office, so was my office - to find out what the story was. I have since spoken to him not at all. I spoke to him once to find out what was behind the press statement. End of deal.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .