Page 4589 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 6 December 1994
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Question put:
That the amendment (Mrs Carnell's) be agreed to.
The Assembly voted -
AYES, 7 NOES, 10
Mrs Carnell Mr Berry
Mr Cornwell Mr Connolly
Mr De Domenico Ms Ellis
Mr Humphries Ms Follett
Mr Kaine Mrs Grassby
Mr Stefaniak Mr Lamont
Mr Stevenson Ms McRae
Mr Moore
Ms Szuty
Mr Wood
Question so resolved in the negative.
Mr Moore: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, I seek clarification. Now that Mrs Carnell's amendment has been lost, does the original amendment that I put stand? I am just seeking clarification.
MADAM SPEAKER: We still have a clause 5 that is Mr Moore's clause 5. The question now is: That clause 5 be agreed to.
MR MOORE (5.41): In many ways, I think it is sad that I was put into a position where I had to vote against the Liberal amendment. I believe that the Liberal Party, in making their decision, clearly made it in good faith. In their minds they clearly had the people who were ill in Canberra, people who were suffering from cancer, people who needed their help. It is quite clear that when they made their original decision, and again when they sought to modify it, they genuinely believed that that was part and parcel of their thinking.
That attitude contrasts greatly with the attitude of the Government, particularly the Minister for Health, who saw a political opportunity and went for it. Speech after speech from the Labor Party has not been about the issue; it has been about the Liberal Party exposing themselves to the sort of political charade that was put on particularly by the Minister for Health. I think that is a very sad circumstance. That is what we have seen over the last few days, and it is exacerbated in my mind by the fact that the Labor Party has a policy that effectively says that, instead of having an amendment that requires a medical practitioner who is doing medical research to give permission or to certify, they will waive the $100 fine completely. They simply will not punish people for the personal use of cannabis.
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