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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 10 Hansard (6 December) . . Page.. 2759 ..

Motion (by Mr Humphries) proposed:

That the Assembly do now adjourn.

MR MOORE (4.36): I rise in the adjournment debate today to refer to a small article that appeared yesterday morning in Column 8 in the Sydney Morning Herald. That small bit of information in the Sydney Morning Herald, according to the article, was provided by MLA Terry Connolly. This is Terry Connolly of the Labor Party, although, as you read the article, you might think he was from the Democratic Labor Party, the DLP, and one who now seems to take advice from Bob Santamaria.

The particular issue that the member referred to was the flooding of my desk. It was pointed out in Column 8 that it was the very desk upon which the euthanasia Bill was drafted. Where the euthanasia Bill was drafted does not leak at all. But why let facts stand in the way of a good story? The irony is - and I had to laugh most of all at this - that Terry Connolly's office, out of all members' offices, and certainly while he was a Minister, was the one that was most notorious for leaks.

Government members: No.

MR MOORE: I hear cries from the Liberal Party of "No". But let me assure you that it is the case. This was seen in some way as a possibility of the wrath of God coming down to punish me for taking such terrible actions by putting such legislation to the Assembly.

They missed a much better story. After the euthanasia Bill went down in this Assembly I was to do a live cross with Prime television at the front of this house. We were waiting for the news item to come on at about three minutes past six. We were standing out the front of the Assembly at about three minutes to six; the cameras were all set up and wired up; and everything was going well. Suddenly, there was a great crack of thunder and lightning. Roley was the cameraman. Everybody here is familiar with him. Roley said, "Come on; this is going to be my Walkley Award". All he was doing was waiting for the lightning to strike the member who had put up this legislation. He would be there.

We completed the live cross to Prime television. Then the skies fairly opened and the rain poured down. Whoever was protecting me - and it may well have been Mr Osborne's prayers - at that stage, the live cross was completed; and it allowed me to get the message through that I would be reintroducing that Bill in due time. I understand that even today the story continues. Today WIN television has interviewed Mr Osborne.

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