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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 5 Hansard (14 May) . . Page.. 1219 ..

Ms McRae: We were working on getting an answer to a question, never mind getting correspondence, for heaven's sake.

MR HUMPHRIES: If Mr Berry or Ms McRae or anybody else wishes, they should ask for the information. To rise at the end of question time, because they did not like the way they got an answer, and force the Chief Minister to table correspondence which she has not seen for some time, presumably - she may have signed it off, I do not know; but the point is that every Minister in this Government - - -

Mr Berry: She had seen enough of it to quote it, to refer to it.

MR HUMPHRIES: She did not quote it. If she had quoted it, you would have been able to require her to table it; but she did not quote it, did she? That is the point. She did not quote it; she referred to it. If every piece of correspondence like that can be called up in this way, I have a feeling that this is going to make it very difficult to operate government on a reasonable basis. The issue ought to be dealt with by way of a request to the Minister to table it, not a motion at the end of question time forcing her to do so without knowing what it is, without having the chance to look at it before she brings it back to this chamber.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to speak, to close the debate.

Leave granted.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, as the mover of this motion, I am not going to accept a few letters waved under my nose as being a resolution of the problem. What happened in this place is that Mrs Carnell clearly referred to correspondence which confirmed the impression she was attempting to create in relation to the Commonwealth's responsibility for the clean-up of the Kingston site. That was the clear impression Mrs Carnell was trying to create. This puts on the public record - I would like the Independent members to listen to this part because it is particularly significant - a motion requiring the Chief Minister to provide certain items - - -

Mr De Domenico: Which items?

MR BERRY: - - - certain items of correspondence which confirm the impression she was attempting to create in question time that the Commonwealth had some responsibility for the clean-up of the Kingston site - that piece of correspondence, Mr De Domenico. For Mrs Carnell to come and wave a couple of pieces of correspondence under our noses here is not enough to stop this motion from being carried. It ought to be carried. Mrs Carnell ought to accept the obligation of providing the correspondence she referred to. It is as simple as that.

Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker, before you put the motion: Mr Berry has moved a motion that the Chief Minister should table certain documents. We have a convention and a practice in this house that members can seek to have documents that have been quoted from tabled. The Minister has made the point that in this case it is not alleged that she quoted from them; it is alleged that she referred to them. I submit, Mr Speaker, that you should rule the motion out of order.

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