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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 8 Hansard (26 October) . . Page.. 2127 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

being banned from tendering for all new contracts except where the product cannot be sourced from another supplier. I stated that in the initial debate. However, members need to be aware of just what is involved for this community in the effects of implementing the motion as it now stands. I certainly urge members to read this implementation report and consider what may be required if we continue down this path.

MR BERRY (4.05): I rise to speak on this issue because, as I have said in the past, the Government seems to be looking for excuses not to act. Mrs Carnell has been dragged kicking and screaming all the way on the issue of sanctions against the French Government. We all remember the fight that she put up against the cancellation of the sister city agreement with Versailles. We all remember the fight that she put up against this motion to stop the purchase of French products. We now see another example of Mrs Carnell's attempts to delay doing anything in relation to this matter. By the time Mrs Carnell gets around to doing anything, the French will have stopped testing their weapons; they will have run out of weapons to test.

Mr Humphries: They will anyway.

MR BERRY: That is the attitude. Mr Humphries interjects, "They will run out anyway". That is what he is hoping for, obviously, before we get to the point where anything is done. It goes on after that, Mr Humphries. These people have made a mess in our backyard and they have to understand that the price they pay will continue to be - - -

Mrs Carnell: Will be less than the price we pay.

MR BERRY: Mrs Carnell moans about the imagined $23,000 that she has built up. I can tell you one product that you can stop purchasing now. You can stop purchasing the Mack-Renault chassis and get them from somewhere else. I know that they are French, so why not just stop purchasing them?

Mr Humphries: Because that is not the full extent of the motion. That is why.

MR BERRY: Indeed, it is not.

Mr De Domenico: We have a contract with them.

MR BERRY: Does it allow you to stop buying them, or can you issue another contract?

Mr De Domenico: No; because they would probably sue us, Mr Berry, and that would cost us millions and millions of dollars.

MR BERRY: Table the contract. If Mrs Carnell had been in a collaborative mood, she could have consulted with members of the community about her difficulties and then worked out ways to knock off French products as the option became available to her; but all she has done all the way along the line has been, first of all, to fight and struggle to stop action from being taken against the French Government and then to criticise a motion of this Assembly. She moans and groans about how difficult it is for her to deliver on the goods. If it is too hard to do, Mrs Carnell, why not come and talk

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