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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 8 Hansard (25 October) . . Page.. 2056 ..

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, this has gone far enough in relation to whether I have misled the house or not. If Mr Hird has the courage of his convictions he ought to move a motion, not make those sorts of improper imputations across the chamber in this debate.

MR SPEAKER: I will examine the Hansard to see whether action is required.

MR HIRD: Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable gentleman and I will take him up on that offer.

MR BERRY (5.04): Now that the issue of the Kippax Health Centre has been raised, it is important that the record be set straight. My recollection is that about 1,200 people have petitioned this Assembly to stop the sale of the Kippax Health Centre, and there will be a further 1,000 or so petitioners later on. The message is clear to the Government that there is an uprising out there in the community about their actions in relation to public facilities. Last evening the people of Charnwood were extremely angry about the Government's position in relation to Charnwood High School. In West Belconnen generally, people are coming to know what is going to happen as a result of the appointment of Mrs Carnell as Chief Minister in this place. They will now be aware of the alliance of colleagues in this Assembly who are holding this Government together and, in turn, are aiding and abetting the Government in the closure of these public facilities.

Mr Kaine: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Hird raised the question of whether or not Mr Berry perhaps misinterpreted the Government's position in a public statement and in a petition. Having had that brought to his attention, he is now restating that. I think there is now no question of his merely misinterpreting it. He is deliberately making an assertion that he knows to be untrue. He is getting very close, I suggest, Mr Speaker, to misleading this house. He may not have done so before, but he is getting close to it now.

MR BERRY: Time will tell whether these things close or not. Clearly, the community is of the view that the future use of these facilities is in danger. The Government have said that they will not close Charnwood High School; they will merely strangle it. Those are the facts of the matter and the alliance that holds the Government together is going to have to take the responsibility for that. Those are the facts of life. The same applies in relation to the Kippax Health Centre and the Melba Health Centre and the services that are provided from those facilities. The alliance that holds the Government together will have to take responsibility for any - - -

Mr Kaine: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Berry seems to persist in fabricating and fantasising and then presenting something in this place as fact. I have drawn attention already to the fact that he is getting close to misrepresenting material presented to this house. He is now doing it again. He has twice talked about some alliance. There is no alliance.

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