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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2263 ..

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, this is a fervent call to the Greens to have a change of heart. Mrs Carnell is getting a list of belts around her waist. She cannot fit them now. The biggest Health budget blow-out, all of those people added to the unemployment list - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order! Relevance.

Mr De Domenico: She has never double-counted though.

MR BERRY: I would not bet on that. Mr Speaker, we have a situation here where young people and older people who are fearful for their futures are going to be left hanging on a hook by this approach unless the Greens back off. Mrs Carnell has her fingerprints all over this legislation and the approach that has been taken by the Liberals, but, as anyone could predict, the weights are starting to move against Mrs Carnell. With this Government it has always been a matter of style, not substance. Mrs Carnell has changed her mind because the publicity is going against her.

Mr Humphries: This is a bash Kate speech. It has nothing to do with trading hours.

MR BERRY: Patsy, over here, Mr Humphries, was stuck out in front to sell the package in the first place. There has been a big brawl in the Liberal Party room because Mrs Carnell is saying, "Well, it was all right for Mr Humphries to run it for a while but it is not working so well now. We had better change our mind and send it off to a committee, soften the blow a bit, or make it look as though we are softening the blow". Mr Humphries has been sent out again. You sucker, you. When are you going to wake up?

Mr Speaker, Mr Humphries has done his back in because of the backflip this morning; and as for the Greens, well, the colour seems to have changed a little bit because the social justice aspect of their so-called origins has been forgotten. If they want to have on their conscience more instability in the retail industry, well, good on them; but it is going to have to be made clear that it is on their conscience. They have the opportunity to demonstrate clearly to the community that they care about those people who are having difficulties with their jobs in a climate which has been created by Mrs Carnell. There are 2,500 additional people on unemployment lists under Mrs Carnell and this situation will help add another 300. If you want that on your conscience, go for your life; but you are going to have to wear it if it happens. Those are the clear facts of the matter.

Mr Speaker, sending this off to a committee is getting to be a bit of a joke. We have had more inquiries into this business than you can poke a stick at. Our desks are cluttered with this sort of stuff. The Greens now want another inquiry to get them off the hook. They have indicated already that they are going to vote for the Bill. Why on earth go on with that sort of hypocrisy, for heaven's sake? You are going to vote for the Bill.

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