Page 4476 - Week 14 - Thursday, 1 December 1994
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what he has done. Having rushed legislation through yesterday, with this extraordinary Liberal Opposition's support, this amazing action by the ACT Liberals, which is being wondered at by doctors, lawyers and government leaders around Australia, in a fit of pique he then moved no confidence in me because I have had the sense to act responsibly, to do my duty by the people of Canberra, to plainly state the facts, to explain to the people of Canberra the import of the legal advice, which is that it is an open slather approach to the prescription of cannabis. I will not use the language of the Australian Doctors Fund, although I will quote them. They say that it is ludicrous, irresponsible, extraordinary. Madam Speaker, this no-confidence motion is a farce. Members who vote for this would be displaying extreme partisan pique.
MRS CARNELL (Leader of the Opposition) (4.50): I think extreme partisan pique is what the Minister has shown about this situation for the last two days. Every time he has opened his mouth over the last two days it seems that he has not quite managed to tell the whole truth. He said before that he had based everything he has said inside and outside this Assembly on the legal opinion that he has. Unfortunately, he received the legal opinion only today. It is very hard to understand how he based everything he said yesterday on a legal opinion he got today. It is a minor matter; but, if Ministers are going to be in charge of departments and are going to come into this house and give this Assembly information that we are to believe - that is the whole basis of being a Minister - you cannot have mild extrapolations of the truth all the time, even if it is about the legal opinion.
Mr Connolly has quoted from media releases and other things. There is any amount of media releases that everyone could quote from today. There is one here from the Redfern Legal Centre, which says:
Cannabis for medical uses in the ACT.
Redfern Legal Centre today congratulated the ACT Assembly for passing legislation enabling doctors to authorise marijuana for medical purposes.
"This is an important and beneficial change to our drug laws", said Steve Bolt, a solicitor at the Centre.
Ms Follett: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I would make the point that we are not debating the merits of the legislation that has been passed.
Mr Moore: Terry Connolly just quoted from everything. He just quoted the doctors.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
Ms Follett: You could have taken a point of order. You did not. I am saying that there is a point of order; that we are debating - - -
Mr Moore: That is pathetic. Sit down. You are not helping him at all.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
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