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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2068 ..

MR SPEAKER: Which standing order?

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I draw your attention to standing order 55. It reads:

All imputations of improper motives and all personal reflections on Members -

the plural -

shall be considered highly disorderly.

I would ask you to call on Mr Humphries to withdraw that imputation.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, you ruled only last week on this very point of order. Mr Berry, in response to your rulings, as I recall, said that everyone on this side of the chamber was a liar, and he was not asked to withdraw. He cannot have it both ways. He cannot abuse the standing orders and then insist on them being enforced.

MR SPEAKER: I would have to uphold Mr Humphries's comments on this. We have an arrangement within this house, Mr Berry. I repeat that if you refer to people collectively - - -

Mr Berry: I can call them anything, as long as I include the lot?

MR SPEAKER: As long as it is decent. The fact of the matter, however, is that if Mr Humphries had referred to somebody individually then he would have been obliged to withdraw.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Berry's friends in the boardrooms of Sydney and Melbourne, and perhaps overseas, might enjoy his playing these little games on behalf of the corporate world, but this Government is concerned about issues closer to home. Mr Speaker, the allegation that 93 per cent of Canberrans do not want to move over from town centre to local centre or group centre trading is a gross misrepresentation. I challenge Mr Whitecross to table the survey he is referring to. Can you table the survey?

Mr Whitecross: I am not going to table it now. I do not have it with me.

MR HUMPHRIES: He does not have it. He is quoting from a survey that he does not have here and that I do not think he has actually ever seen. Have you seen the survey?

Mr Whitecross: Yes, I have.

MR HUMPHRIES: What were the questions posed? How many persons were approached?

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Humphries, just answer the supplementary question. We do not want a dialogue across the chamber, thank you.

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