Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 2 Hansard (27 February) . . Page.. 327 ..

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, - - -

MR SPEAKER: Do you have a point of order?

Mr Berry: Yes, I do. Standing order 117 is pretty clear. I go to standing order 117(b)(vii) and it says that questions shall not contain hypothetical matters. Mr Kaine made it pretty clear that this is a "what would happen if" question. The announcement has not been made. Mrs Carnell has been asked to give an answer to a question in relation to something that might happen in the future. That is clearly hypothetical. I think it would be highly out of order if the question were allowed.

MR SPEAKER: No, I do not uphold your point of order. I will allow the question. I accept the information. In fact, I recall reading something about this in the newspaper this morning. Continue, Chief Minister.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I am very interested in the view of those opposite on this, because members from Ms Follett's office asked my office for a copy of the report earlier today. That certainly indicated that there was a degree of interest. Far be it from me to make that comment, though, of course. Anyway, as members obviously - - -

Ms Follett: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think that Mrs Carnell is trying to mislead people as to the nature of earlier points of order. It had nothing to do with what was in the Grants Commission report. It had to do with the hypothetical nature of Mr Kaine's question as to the implementation of that report.

MR SPEAKER: Order! I have already ruled - - -

Ms Follett: Yes, I know that you have, and I would never question your ruling.

MR SPEAKER: I have already ruled on that point.

Ms Follett: I am raising a separate point of order - that Mrs Carnell is trying to draw an inference that my having asked for a copy of the report somehow has something to do with the hypothetical nature of the question, and it has not.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order. Continue, Mrs Carnell.

MRS CARNELL: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Members will be aware that a large proportion of ACT Government funding comes in the form of grants from the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Grants Commission makes recommendations each year to the Federal Government on how these grants will be shared amongst the States and Territories. The most recent Grants Commission report was released yesterday and it recommends a slight reduction in the ACT's share of the general revenue pool. Ms McRae might not be interested in this, but it is of absolute bottom line importance to this Territory.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .