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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2436 ..

Mrs Carnell: Why did we put in a sunset clause?

MR BERRY: If you want to talk about the mental health legislation, deal with it separately, but tell the truth; none of this nonsense about how the mental health legislation was dealt with. The fact is that the mental health legislation went to a committee and subsequently came back to this parliament. It was dealt with and the committee was given the overriding responsibility of looking after the legislation in due course.

Mrs Carnell: Why does it have a sunset clause?

MR BERRY: Do not give me that nonsense about sunset clauses. You are a complete phoney. You have put up legislation which is phoney. You have put up legislation which fools nobody. It is just a publicity exercise and now you have come up with something else, this little sunset clause. Well, well, well. It just so happens that it concludes after the next election. When will the Greens wake up to this? This whole exercise has been a public relations exercise aimed at creating the impression that the Government has reacted positively to the save our shops campaign. Well, those shops that close after this event will give no thanks to this Government. Those shops whose businesses have been reduced in value as a result of this little smart alec exercise will give no thanks to this Government, and it is about time that the Greens worked out that they have been caught up in something which does not do anything to get them to their aims and objectives. Their aims and objectives are way off when it comes to this legislation which has been proposed today. This sunset clause demonstrates that they have been caught up in another phoney public relations exercise. This sunset clause is to be opposed because it is just a stunt, nothing more. That is why the Labor Party will be opposing it.

MR WHITECROSS (Leader of the Opposition) (12.23 am): Mr Speaker, this amendment moved by Mr Humphries should have a third line added to it which reads "This legislation is a dud". Mr Humphries is moving this sunset clause today because the Liberal Party are now punch-drunk on this legislation. They have been taking a caning week after week ever since they announced this nutty policy. They are so panic stricken on this exercise that they will not even let the Minister who introduced the Bill answer a question about it. The Minister who introduced this Bill was sent to Darwin. They got rid of him because they knew what he would do if they let him open his mouth. They know that they are in deep enough trouble now without Mr De Domenico contributing his pearls of wisdom to the debate.

Mrs Carnell: Mr Speaker, I take a point of order. Relevance, Mr Speaker.

MR WHITECROSS: This is highly relevant, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: It is not highly relevant at all.

MR WHITECROSS: I will explain why, Mr Speaker. The fact is that the Liberals are sick to their stomachs about what they have done here. They are sick to their stomachs. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It seemed like a good idea at the time, Mr Speaker, but they are sick to their stomachs now. Mr Speaker, they - - -

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