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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 11 Hansard (14 December) . . Page.. 3093 ..

MR BERRY (5.48): Mrs Carnell has just argued in a way which gives you all the reasons why you should not support this Bill. She used all the rhetoric and the glib statements that are used by the sales - - -

Mrs Carnell: I did not. I did not even have a prepared speech, because you did not give me time.

MR BERRY: You do not need a prepared speech to make glib statements. You are good at them. These are the sorts of remarks that come out of the signature collecting agencies and the rich and powerful in the United States when they go after a particular position. Mrs Carnell uses the lovely warm, honeyed statement about handing power back to the community. That is not what she means. What she means is handing power back to her mates, the rich and powerful. That has been the effect in the United States. But, just in case they get something from the not so rich and powerful that they do not like, they have a little let-out in the Bill so they do not have to do it if they just sit on it for a while.

This piece of legislation is a shonk. It is something that has been used as a sales gimmick in an election campaign. Mrs Carnell still uses all the language which goes with this "remember Dennis Stevenson" legislation.

Mr Moore: And David Prowse.

MR BERRY: I had forgotten about Mr Prowse. He is an eminently forgettable person. But the extreme - - -

Mr De Domenico: He likes you too.

MR BERRY: I am sure that we do not bat on the same team. We have this situation where the Chief Minister in the Australian Capital Territory - - -

Mrs Carnell: Believes it.

MR BERRY: Mrs Carnell says, "I believe it". I do not think you believe in anything. This is all sales talk. This CIR Bill is about who can sell the story. It shows an absolute lack of understanding by this Chief Minister of compulsory voting. If you go to the people with a promise of free buses and there is compulsory voting and you get elected, you are obliged by mandate to implement your policy. That is the effect of compulsory voting when you take your policies to the people. CIR is just a publicity stunt.

A moment ago, when I was chatting to Mr Humphries across the floor, I mentioned the safety valve in their legislation that means that they do not have to implement anything they find distasteful, and he said, "That will do for the moment". This is a glib sales statement which is based on a few cheap glib phrases such as "hand the power back to the people" and "take the power off the Executive". This is the sort of stuff that you will hear flowing with the honey from Mrs Carnell and all her Liberal colleagues. This is legislation which is dangerous and deserves to be put down, and to be put down quickly.

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