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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2262 ..

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, thank you.

Mr De Domenico: Did we vote for him to speak?

Ms Tucker: That is the downside.

MR BERRY: At your request.

Mr Osborne: We have not heard from you yet on this matter, Mr De Domenico.

Mr Whitecross: He is strapped to the chair. That is why.

MR BERRY: He has the araldite. He cannot get up. They will not let him speak. As I said a moment ago, the Greens have been caught on this one. I sympathise with them in that respect and I know how they must be feeling on the issue, but the best way out of it - - -

Mr Moore: That is because you have been caught a few times.

MR BERRY: We have all had our turn, Mr Moore. The best way out of it is to humble yourself, swallow your pride, forget all this nonsense, vote against the Bill, forget about taking it off to a committee and have some regard for those people whose jobs are in danger out there. Let us not forget that it is these Liberals opposite here, Mr Speaker, who gave us 2,500 more on the unemployment list since Mrs Carnell came to office, and the Greens are now going to help them add 300. It is time to back away from this nonsense and restore some stability to businesses out there, both large and small. While this instability continues we will have declining confidence in the ability of this economy to drag itself up on its feet again and fewer jobs will be created. I beg of you, Greens, to change your minds on this issue. If you are a party which has some concern about social justice, it is about time you showed it because those 300 out there who have their jobs threatened are going to be left hanging while you continue this sort of nonsense.

I heard Ms Horodny claim that Labor did nothing when in office. The fact of the matter, Ms Horodny, if you check the history of it, is that the legislation was in place when self-government started and it always allowed businesses to operate in the way that they do, particularly the big supermarkets, and they decided on a business basis that they would proceed. It is as simple as that.

Mr Moore: Through the Alliance Government too.

MR BERRY: And the Alliance Government supported it as well. Let us not rewrite history. Mrs Carnell is the best at that. You will never take the belt off her, so give it up.

Mr Moore: She is a black belt in rewriting history.

Mrs Carnell: At least I do not count it twice.

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