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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 11 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 2895 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Those opposite say that they are all in favour of strengthening a relationship, but they attack the opportunities for the bipartisanship which we need to build up. Those opposite have suggested that it was wrong to attack a delegation which cost $180,000 - - -

Ms Follett: It was $120,000.

MR HUMPHRIES: My recollection is that it cost $180,000 to send the delegation to Japan in 1993. If my party was in opposition or in government, I would maintain the view that that cost was inappropriate. I would do that irrespective of where I was. I simply maintain that it is inappropriate. I know that Japan is an expensive place - - -

Ms Follett: It was for three weeks.

MR HUMPHRIES: It should not have been for three weeks. The Chief Minister has just travelled to Japan for a fraction of that cost. The previous delegation ought to have been on that basis. Self-government is still viewed with some sensitivity by the citizens of Canberra, and in my view we ought not to be spending money on a large scale for those sorts of things. I am sorry if those opposite think that it is all right to spend a lot of money on it. I do not think that is the case, and I stand by the view that we should be spending frugally on these sorts of things.

The second point I make is that we ought to have bipartisan delegations, if we send them. I think it was, to use Ms Follett's word, venal to take Mr Lamont on the last trip.

Ms Follett: He did not pay. He was a guest of the Japanese.

MR HUMPHRIES: As I recall, he did go with you and he did pay his air fare.

Ms Follett: No.

MR HUMPHRIES: I think that is the case, but I will stand corrected if I am wrong. My understanding was that the Government was picking up at least part of the costs of his trip. It would not have been difficult to offload one or two public servants in favour of a member of the Assembly, to show the bipartisanship of the approach.

Ms Follett: I could have bought you off, could I? That would have bought your silence. We could have bought your silence for just a few thousand more.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I do not intend to press this point. I simply say that I disagree with those opposite. I might also say that there are not any parliamentary delegations from this place that are paid for by the ACT. The only parliamentary delegations we go on are ones paid for by the Australian political exchange program and therefore there are not the options for ACT members to go on parliamentary exchanges involving only ACT members. We have only government delegations, and it seems to me appropriate that if we use government money we should indicate to the Japanese - - -

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