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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 6 Hansard (21 May) . . Page.. 1549 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

money to play with. You would not do it. If somebody has just blown $14.2m, you would have to be a goose to give her another $14.2m, especially if she already has $14.2m socked away. Mr Speaker, this is clearly one of the most shonky deals ever dragged in front of this place.

It has been said that governments do things differently. At least in all of the other processes where overspends were dealt with pursuant to the Audit Act, they were dealt with lawfully and in a way which was open and transparent.

Mr De Domenico: So is this one - more open and more transparent.

MR BERRY: There was no attempt to cover up by some grand media performance that something terrible had happened in Health.

Mr Humphries: Doing things in the media is covering up - that is a good idea! Like the secret press release that goes to all the media.

MR BERRY: Fewer interjections would be helpful, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Humphries: Look who is talking.

MR BERRY: Say it again, Mr Speaker. They did not hear you the first time.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry has the floor.

MR BERRY: They might be a bit deaf.

Mr De Domenico: Just get on with it.

MR BERRY: They still cannot hear you, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry has the floor.

MR BERRY: Say it a bit louder, Mr Speaker. They cannot hear you.

Mr De Domenico: Just hurry up and put us out of our misery.

MR BERRY: They cannot hear you. Try it again.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry has the floor. Order!

MR BERRY: Thank you. That is about the right volume, I think, Mr Speaker. We have here a situation where Mrs Carnell has demonstrated her incompetence in Health. A little while ago she was accusing the Opposition of saying certain things, trying to rewrite history again - "The Opposition would have me close down beds; they would have me treat fewer patients", and all that sort of stuff. That is rubbish.

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