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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 7 Hansard (17 October) . . Page.. 1754 ..

MR HIRD: "Disembowel" is the word. That is what you are up to, Mr Connolly. I am glad to see that you will have a free vote on another matter at another time. This is what democracy is all about. You and your friends across the way are putting up a smokescreen. Come clean, Mrs Follett. You want to get rid of the Hare-Clark system. The Hare-Clark system was introduced over a period of years by guess who? It was introduced by the Labor Party in Tasmania - and wisely so. The Robson rotation and the Hare-Clark system were identified in the referendum that was held in 1992, and it is very clear that they are exactly what the people of the Territory want.

Ms Follett: Mr Speaker, with all due respect to "Mrs" Hird, I think the comments that are being made are simply not relevant to the amendment that has been moved. That ought to be pointed out to him. He is canvassing broadly the issue on which we have already voted. The amendments are quite specific. I think he should be required to be relevant.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, I will uphold that. We have had the in-principle debate. We are now debating the amendments put up by Ms Follett. I would ask members to address those amendments.

MR HIRD: I am building up to the how-to-vote cards.

MR SPEAKER: Get to the roof quickly.

MR HIRD: The ACT Labor Party is pulling another stunt so that they can win back the followers who deserted them on 18 February this year in favour of the good Government now on the treasury bench. The Opposition asked us to hold this matter over because they had not quite made up their minds about amendments. A number of my colleagues have identified dates. The Bill has been sitting around since 24 August, and they have not been able to make up their minds. The amendments have so many holes in them that they are like Swiss cheese. Making officers in charge of polling places responsible for handing out how-to-vote cards is an absolute nonsense.

Mr Berry: I do not think it says that, Harold. You will have to read it.

MR HIRD: I know for a fact, Mr Berry, that Labor introduced Robson rotation in the Tasmanian Parliament and that how-to-vote cards were done away with as part of that process. You know that and I know it. Do not put up smokescreens. You really want to get rid of the Hare-Clark system. That is what you are up to. Come clean.

MR OSBORNE (4.50): Mr Speaker, to be quite honest, I really do not have a view one way or the other on how-to-vote cards. I do not particularly use them, but it does not worry me if other people do. This afternoon we heard the word "hypocrisy". Perhaps it has something to do with ideology on both sides. The one thing that has really stuck out in my mind today and that has swayed my decision is that members of the Labor Party said that their how-to-vote cards show people how to vote but that people still have the choice to vote for whom they wish. I suppose that I would have been a lot more sympathetic with the Labor Party had they allowed their own members the same privilege on the euthanasia issue.

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