Page 4059 - Week 13 - Thursday, 10 November 1994
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Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker.
MR KAINE: We have a commitment under a contract, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Who wants to take a point of order? Mr Humphries, I will listen to you.
Mr Humphries: Madam Speaker, Mr Kaine is clearly asking: What does the contract provide in these circumstances? That is a question of what the contract contains. Therefore it is not a hypothetical question.
MADAM SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Humphries; but what I cautioned Mr - - -
Mr De Domenico: We want to know whether the Minister knows - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Just a minute, Mr De Domenico. What I am trying to say, Mr Humphries, is that if Mr Kaine could word it in exactly the way you did, without the "if" in it, it is not hypothetical. That is what I meant - without the "what if".
MR KAINE: It is not hypothetical. No matter how I word it, it is not hypothetical.
Mr Connolly: You have said "what if" twice. It is hypothetical.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Humphries had it right.
MR KAINE: We have an obligation under the contract, do we not, Mr Attorney-General?
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! Mr Kaine, please rephrase your supplementary question. Proceed.
MR KAINE: Madam Speaker, I think the intent of my question is quite clear. Where does the Government get the money from, other than from the taxpayer's pocket, to pay out this $25m commitment if the system fails - and your contract envisages that it might, otherwise you would not have such a guarantee in there?
MR WOOD: Madam Speaker, I think the Liberals are getting themselves into difficulties. The amount of asset there is clear. There is no question. Mr Kaine might come out to Harcourt Hill with me one day and see the amount of asset.
Mr Kaine: The asset that is there at the moment is our land. We already own it.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR WOOD: I will take you out there one day, Mr Kaine.
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