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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 10 Hansard (6 December) . . Page.. 2760 ..

Mr Osborne: The parting of the Red Sea.

MR MOORE: He is talking about the parting of the Dead Sea or the Red Sea.

Mr Osborne: You are the expert on Scripture.

MR MOORE: The interjection is that I am the expert on Scripture. You had it right. It is the Red Sea. I thought that it was necessary to draw this to members' attention: Although it is important to ensure that a good story gets through, do not be bogged down by facts.

MR CONNOLLY (4.40): I must confirm that my office did leak profusely when we were in government and had moved to this new building. As Minister for Urban Services and the person providing the service to the then Speaker, I was somewhat concerned that in the first week after we moved into this building I had to have the bucket brigade in, as the water literally poured through the roof of my office. Mr Moore is correct to say that my office did leak.

In relation to the issue of water on the desk and the suggestion of perhaps some divine involvement in relation to legislation before this Assembly - without reflecting on any vote in this place - I was wrongly informed that it was Mr Moore's desk. I assumed that it was the one in his office. As I understand it, the desk that water did pour on was the desk that is within only a few centimetres of where Mr Osborne sits. Yet, miraculously, Mr Osborne's desk apparently remained dry. Perhaps the story, although slightly inaccurate as to fact, would have been even more interesting if the full facts were known.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Connolly, I have a little problem. I do not think, if it is divine intervention, I can refer it as a matter of privilege.

Mr Moore: Look at the flash marks on his desk.

MR OSBORNE (4.42): I just stand up here and say that there is not a mark anywhere on my desk. I can put it down to only one thing: Divine intervention. I have told my friend Mr Moore that I do pray for him. I call him Saul. On the road to Damascus we are going to have a major conversion. But, seeing he is an expert on Scripture, he needs to be blind for only a day because he knows it already.

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