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For that reason, my second amendment seeks to delete from the second paragraph the words “withdraw support for this arrangement as a direct consequence of” and insert words that would give the last paragraph this effect. That paragraph would then read:

The Assembly urges the ACT Government to write to the Mayor of Versailles to determine their position on the irresponsible attitude of the French Government to the environment and to nuclear arms; further the Assembly encourages the boycott of French goods by the ACT community.

The effect of that amendment, as I see it, would be that the Chief Minister would then write to the Mayor of Versailles and the district administrator of Les Yvelines and ask what is their attitude to nuclear testing. If they come back and say, “No, we support the French Government in their approach”, clearly the motion from the Assembly would be to say that the Chief Minister must at that stage sever the twin city link with Versailles. To me, that is a much more logical way to go about sending this message, so that we do not take that risk of cutting off a possible ally, whom we may continue to lobby to get them to express our opinion not only to the French Government but also to the people of their district. Instead of a single one-off impact of cutting that twin city arrangement, it may well be that we have a longer-term impact.

At the same time, I recognise that the single cutting of the twin city arrangement would allow a mayor of Versailles who was on side to say to the French Government, “Look what you have done to us. By your actions you have effectively cut some of our international relations”. I do not think my amendments water down the long-term impact of the motion put up by Rosemary Follett; rather, they extend the long-term impact, although I recognise that in the short term they may, to a certain extent, water down the emotional impact.

I would also like to comment on the proposed amendment circulated by Mr Humphries, which I think adds further weight to this motion because it puts responsibility where it lies, on the Federal Government of Australia, to take real action in dealing with the French Government. I will be supporting that amendment. Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move the amendments circulated in my name.

Leave granted.

MR MOORE: I move:

Paragraph 2, add the words “if the Mayor and the head of the administrative district of Les Yvelines support the nuclear testing in the South Pacific”.

Paragraph 3, omit the words “withdraw support for this arrangement as a direct consequence of”, substitute the words “write to the Mayor of Versailles to determine their position on”.

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