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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 83 ..

MR OSBORNE (5.13): Mr Speaker, I will be brief. As a member of the Legal Affairs Committee, I do not think it is going to make a major difference whether we look at Mr De Domenico's matter or not. I think it would be quite petty if we did not at least look at it and decide. We have heard a lot of different arguments here today and they may well be right, but I can see no problem with - - -

Ms Follett: Where is the money coming from? It is not in the budget. You will have to amend the budget.

Mr Humphries: Where did the money for VITAB come from?

Mr Moore: The Treasurer's Advance, Rosemary.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR OSBORNE: I am not talking about that, Ms Follett. I can see no problem with at least looking at it in the Legal Affairs Committee.

Ms Follett: You could not even consider it. Your hands are tied.

Mr Berry: Yours hands are tied, mate. You cannot even consider it.

MR OSBORNE: You tied them. I can see no problem with at least looking at it and - - -

Mr Moore: Did you never use the Treasurer's Advance for providing money for legal situations?

Mr Humphries: Where did Mr Berry's money come from?

Ms Follett: It is not my argument; it is yours. I know where the money is.

MR OSBORNE: I will sit down, Mr Speaker. Maybe I hit a raw nerve.

MS McRAE (5.14): Mr Speaker, I will be very brief. What I hear fills me with despair. I put it to the chamber that, if this matter is picked up by the Legal Affairs Committee and our amendment does not get up, at the very least the Assembly should get legal advice that that in fact can go ahead. This matter is before the AAT. It is not a joke. There is something quite serious before an appeals tribunal which may yet have major ramifications on the case, and here we are all glibly carrying on as if it is just a joke. The matter is one committee and with a committee report then coming through with guidelines that could quite clearly fill Mr De Domenico's case. After the committee has reported, if in fact they fill out the guidelines, the Assembly can debate the issue.

I do not see that it is proper, or appropriate, for this committee to look into something which is before an appeals tribunal, which has - - -

Mr Humphries: It is not doing that.

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