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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 7 Hansard (20 June) . . Page.. 2008 ..

Mr Osborne: Just admit that it is a stunt.

MR HUMPHRIES: It was a stunt. Indeed, it was a stunt. It was a stunt back then, Mr Speaker. Mr Moore has had the good grace to come back here and admit that he has changed his mind.

Mr Moore: Yes, but I changed it back again.

MR HUMPHRIES: You can change it back if you like. We can all change our mind if we want to. We are all entitled to change our mind at least once, and on this subject, Mr Speaker, it seems that a few people have changed their mind.

I want to turn now to the subject of the rather disgraceful little affair with the sharps that Mr De Domenico and Mrs Carnell drew attention to earlier today. Mr Speaker, the fact is that there are two versions of events in this matter. I would ask Mr Whitecross, who has abandoned the chamber, and Mr Berry, who is here, to indicate, if they can, why they believe a particular person over somebody else. Mr Speaker, I am left with the very tempting position of having nobody else in the chamber and I can say all sorts of things.

MR SPEAKER: I am listening very carefully, Mr Humphries.

MR HUMPHRIES: Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Moore: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I believe that there has been a reflection on the Chair, Mr Speaker. Mr Humphries just said that there is nobody else in the chamber. Surely that would be a reflection on the Chair.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order, Mr Moore.

MR HUMPHRIES: I thank the departing Mr Moore for his observation. Mr Speaker, I ask Mr Whitecross how he knows that the version given to him by the youth centre is preferred over the version of other public servants at the Sharps Unit who have a very different account of what occurred in that telephone conversation. The implication of what Mr Whitecross has said is that members of staff at the Sharps Unit have been telling lies. That is a very serious allegation to make, and I suggest that Mr Whitecross ought to do the honourable thing. If he does not feel that he can apologise to the house for what he said, for the lies that he has told, I suggest that he should ring the Sharps Unit and ask them for their version of what happened. When he does so, he might get a different version of events and would be in a position to be able to correct his position on the floor of the house.

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