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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (22 February) . . Page.. 188 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

Mr Berry has said constantly that we should be conciliatory; that we should say all those nice little fluffy things and not make any comments about thugs. I notice that on 15 December 1993 Mr Berry said that he was taking a big hammer approach to the VMOs. I wonder what has happened to the hammer now. The reality is that we are taking advice from exactly the same people the previous Government took advice from. It is interesting also to notice that under Mr - - -

Mr Berry: Mr Houlihan and Mr Kaufman never worked for us.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Houlihan did a consultancy and has not been working for the ACT Government for quite a period of time. It is true that - - -

Mr Berry: And Mr Kaufman? How much did he cost?

MR SPEAKER: Order! The question has been asked. It is being answered.

MRS CARNELL: It is interesting, Mr Speaker, that when I looked through the list of industrial disputes that happened under the previous Government, fascinatingly, I saw things like a nurses rostering dispute. Funny about that! In fact, there were quite a number of rostering disputes at Woden Valley Hospital under Mr Berry. There was the dispute on access to government cars by medical officers. The salaried doctors were in the Industrial Relations Commission, and so on. When you look at the results of all of those Industrial Relations Commission hearings, I tell you what - if I were Mr Berry, I would shut up.

MR BERRY: I will not be. Mr Speaker, Mrs Carnell might advise us how much it cost her to have Mr Kaufman represent her in the cases that have been before the commission. I know that she failed to accept that he indeed did advise her and act for her in relation to a matter that was in the Industrial Relations Commission.

Mrs Carnell: No. We did. We had him.

MR BERRY: It would have been nice for you to admit that in your answer to the question. His name was indeed raised. It seems to me that you have been ignoring the advice of experienced public service advisers.

MR SPEAKER: What is your supplementary question, Mr Berry?

MR BERRY: Have you been ignoring the advice of experienced public service advisers and listening to the Kennett advisers? They are the types - - -

MR SPEAKER: If that is your question - - -

MR BERRY: I am not finished yet, Mr Speaker. May I conclude?

Mr Kaine: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Berry is entitled to ask a supplementary question, but he is not entitled to make a statement. I think that he has asked his question. He should be invited to sit down and let the Minister answer it.

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