Page 2636 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 24 August 1994
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MR BERRY (Manager of Government Business): Madam Speaker, pursuant to standing order 46, I would like to make a personal explanation.
MADAM SPEAKER: Proceed, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: Thank you. During the course of debate today questions were raised about my competence and the competence of other people who were advising me. Madam Speaker, you have to look at the background of this issue to determine whether one's competence could be called into question fairly or not. The background that I am talking about is the involvement of the Liberals opposite and the Victorian Government and the Victorian Racing Minister. We know from the public record that Mrs Carnell admitted to being in contact with the Victorian Racing Minister and other TABs. She admitted that on public radio. Mr De Domenico sat beside me, in front of a TV camera, Prime - - -
Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I think that Mr Berry is clearly transgressing the rule that no such matters may be debated during a personal explanation under standing order 46. We expect to hear what was said about him that was not true, and that should be all. I would ask you to bring him into line.
MR BERRY: No, the issue is not whether it was true or not. You drew into question my competence, and I am permitted to talk about it.
Mr Humphries: No, you cannot debate the matters. It says so in the standing order.
MADAM SPEAKER: I have ruled on this before, when Mr Stevenson, I think, was talking about a similar sort of thing. I have said that, if you can bring your argument around to the personal explanation, that is permissible; but it has to be a personal explanation, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: Thank you. I go back to Mr De Domenico sitting beside me, in front of a Prime News camera, out at Bruce Stadium, on the super sevens football day, as he might recall, and saying, "Yes, I have been in touch with various people involved in the TAB and so on, and Ministers". I then look at a question without notice which was asked of the Victorian Minister. He was asked a question in relation to VITAB. What I am doing, of course, is drawing a link between those who - - -
Mr De Domenico: Madam Speaker, I raise a point of order. If Mr Berry is not debating the issue, what is he doing? We are quite prepared to debate Mr Berry, if he likes.
MR BERRY: There is no question before the chamber.
MADAM SPEAKER: I realise that there is getting to be a quite fine distinction here. I believe that Mr Berry is trying to produce a personal explanation as to why he is not incompetent, and he is using evidence to show that.
Mr Moore: Seek leave to make a statement under standing order 46.
MR BERRY: I have.
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