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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 2 Hansard (29 February) . . Page.. 489 ..

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I have no interest in a summary of the Industrial Relations Act. What I want is a clear yes or no as to whether the Chief Minister will agree not to lock out workers from their jobs because they disagree with them.

MR SPEAKER: I am not sure that you are going to get an unequivocal yes or no. The Chief Minister is answering the question.

MRS CARNELL: Under section 170 of the Federal Industrial Relations Act, guess what, Mr Speaker! Guess what options are available to the Government if unions go on strike, stay out forever, or whatever they might do. There are two options. One option is lockouts. The only other option is in circumstances where lives are put at risk by bans or strikes or, alternatively, the Federal economy is being damaged. It is very difficult for the ACT economy to cause a big problem to the Federal economy. In those two circumstances we can go back to the tribunal.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, this is outrageous. I take a point of order.

MRS CARNELL: There are no other options.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, the question was plain: Will the Chief Minister give us an unequivocal commitment that she will not lock workers out? We do not need her rendition of what the Industrial Relations Act says. We just need an answer, an unequivocal response.

Mr De Domenico: Speaking to that point of order, Mr Speaker, I refer you to standing order 61. I suggest that you tell Mr Berry that he should not interrupt the Chief Minister while she is answering his question.

MR SPEAKER: Certainly, the Chief Minister is answering the question, as far as I am concerned. Whether she wishes to do it unequivocally, the way the questioner wants it, I am afraid is entirely up to her.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, I thought I made it very clear. If they all decide to leave, to all go home and not come back, or decide to do anything to this Territory, except if they endanger lives or, alternatively, the national economy, the only option left to the Government under the Federal industrial relations legislation is lockouts. The last thing this Government wants to do, the absolutely last thing we want to do, is go down the path of lockouts.

Mr Berry: I raise this point of order again. The subject matter of my question was very clear. Will the Chief Minister give an unequivocal commitment that she will not lock workers out? That is the subject matter. Get to the subject matter and answer it. Yes or no - that is all we want - or else refuse to answer it.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order also. Mr Berry has made the same point of order three times, and three times he has been overruled by the Chair. There comes a point where I think you, as Speaker, are entitled, under the provisions available in the standing orders, to deal with a member who flagrantly disregards your ruling. Mr Berry well knows, from his experience as a Minister, that Ministers may

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