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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2376 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

the table until their involvement in the committee which is considering this matter has come to an end. The Greens are going to be involved in the committee and the Liberals are going to be involved in the committee that will consider the effects of this Bill - and they want to pass it first.

Mrs Carnell: That is not what it says in the motion.

MR BERRY: That is the effect of it. I do not think the community should look too kindly on that. If you proceed down this path, we will certainly be drawing it to the community's attention that both of you, in league, have treated the community with contempt in relation to this issue. What about the 300 people who are going to lose their jobs? What are they going to think about having an inquiry about an issue - - -

Mr Stefaniak: What about the 700 who already have?

MR BERRY: Hang on a minute. What about the 300 who are going to lose their jobs? If their jobs have already gone, what are they going to think about the inquiry which is addressing the issue and which perhaps might save their jobs? It is a ludicrous position. It is a ludicrous situation which draws this place into disrepute. I think the Government ought to reconsider its position, but I do not see too much flexibility over there. The Liberals are not known for that.

The Greens, of course, have got themselves in a bit of a spot with this legislation. Ideologically, they are locked into certain concepts, but I am not quite sure that they would want to lock themselves into the concept of making a decision first and then consulting with the community. I suspect that I have heard the Greens criticise other people for doing those sorts of things. They will never be able to criticise anybody again after this little turn. Each time they get up in this place and have a bit of a moan about somebody else's consultation, they will get a bit of stick.

Mr Moore: We will make the decision first and we will consult later.

MR BERRY: Yes, that is right. They are not going to have much to do in this place once they have established that standard for themselves. They have made a lifestyle out of criticising other people for not consulting properly - and they are going to do this. I have never seen anybody do anything like this before - not once, never. I know that the Greens do not have the same corporate association with this Assembly as others of us do. If they keep up this sort of behaviour, their corporate association is going to be pretty short, I can tell you, because the people out there in the community will wake up to the fact that the Greens have let them down in a big way.

Mr Speaker, I urge members to support my motion to adjourn debate on this Bill. It is a silly time to consider the Bill when the Minister is on the big silver bird winging it to Darwin. He ought to be here to defend his Bill.

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