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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 7 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 1852 ..

Mr Moore: Mr Kaine, if you want to speak to it, speak now.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Kaine, you are now addressing the motion.

MR KAINE (10.39): Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition was quick to jump to his feet a little while ago and say that this was disgusting, or words to that effect. The only thing that disgusts me is the attempt by members of the Opposition to usurp the control of this house and, in particular, to do away with private members business this morning. I point out that the motion was not to allow this to take precedence over private members business; it was to suspend standing orders. I assume that Ms Tucker, for example, would like to get on with debating the Bill that she wishes to present to the house. It is the decision of the Chief Minister whether she will or will not move a censure motion; there is plenty of time for that today. I do not understand what the urgency is for Mr Berry to bring the matter on now.

Mr Whitecross: Because you have been running it in the media.

MR KAINE: You had your say, Mr Leader of the Opposition.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Kaine has the floor.

MR KAINE: I am objecting to the process that you people are trying to put into effect, whereby you usurp the power of the Speaker, the house and everybody else and take control of the agenda. I think it is obvious that I do not support the suspension of standing orders for this purpose. I think we should get on with the business which is the practice of this house on Wednesday mornings, in accordance with the standing orders, and deal with private members business. After all, we have limited enough time for that purpose. If Mr Berry wants to get the censure motion brought on, I am sure that the Chief Minister can and will oblige him at the appropriate time of the day. I urge members to reject this preposterous proposal, which is trying to anticipate what the Chief Minister may or may not intend to do. That is what we seem to be working on - what the Chief Minister may or may not intend to do. I think we should reject this motion and get on with the business of the house this morning, which is private members business.

MS FOLLETT (10.41): I would like to speak very briefly to the motion for the suspension of standing orders. I am quite sure that Mr Kaine knows as well as I do that a motion of censure, by tradition, is dealt with swiftly by this Assembly. I and many other members have heard, ever since question time yesterday, that Mrs Carnell was intending to censure Mr Berry for figures which he allegedly released when he was Health Minister and which, in fact, Mrs Carnell herself released. Many of the statements made by Mrs Carnell have been, in my view, totally defamatory. I believe that it is incumbent on this Assembly to give Mr Berry an opportunity to address those public statements as quickly and as decisively as he possibly can. If Mrs Carnell is not prepared to debate the issue in the Assembly, where she will have to answer charges from the Opposition, then it weakens her case quite dramatically and disgracefully.

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