Page 4656 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 7 December 1994
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After all, this Assembly has its pay rates set by the Remuneration Tribunal on the basis of doing full-time work. If you are earning a bit of money on the side, why not give it back, dollar for dollar. You would not want to do that. Of course, the Liberals are the only ones who seem to be troubled by this, the ones who are most agitated by it.
This is a motion that sets out to show up people for not making the contribution required to this body politic. The people in the ACT pay for fairly generous salaries - salaries that most people out there in the community would love to have. For some members the salaries paid are beyond the wildest dreams of people in the community. Ministers receive salaries of a range above those of backbenchers. The Leader of the Opposition receives a salary in the $80,000s and her office costs about $300,000 a year to run; and still the community see her operating a second occupation. In fact, she manages a business and participates in a profession. Now, I do not mind it. I am sure that Mrs Carnell is a very good pharmacist. I do not think there is any question about that. But you have to make a choice in this business. I hear that this morning, on the radio, Mr Humphries raised the question of Mr Osborne, who may be a candidate in the next election. He said, "He is a football referee. Would he have to give that up?".
Mr De Domenico: No; he plays football for the Raiders, in fact.
Mr Stefaniak: He is a captain-coach.
Mr De Domenico: He is the captain-coach of West Belconnen, in your electorate.
MR BERRY: These days he has taken on the job of captain-coach for West Belconnen. I have to say to you that if Mr Osborne is thinking about a career in politics he is going to have to make up his mind whether he wants to be a captain-coach or whether he wants to be in politics. It is as simple as that.
Mr De Domenico: Nonsense!
MR BERRY: You and I both had to do that - or have you not done it yet, Mr De Domenico? Are you still practising your former trade? I am not. I am working full time.
Mr Stevenson: I am not so sure, Wayne.
MR BERRY: Dennis Stevenson seems to be a bit twitchy, too. What have you been up to? You are just a wee bit twitchy today, Mr Stevenson. Tell us a bit about what you have been up to. Where do you disappear to all the time? You are certainly not putting the effort in here. You are taking the money, but what are you doing?
My view is that we need from this Assembly a clear and unequivocal statement. The members of this Assembly are here to work for the people. We are going to devote all of our attention to it. We are not going to be distracted from the matters of this Assembly by other business interests. The community out there deserves to know whether members in this place are working for the community or working for themselves.
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