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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 10 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 2958 ..

MR BERRY: Cut it out. I have been misrepresented, Mr Speaker. My claims were based on this document. Therefore, for the Government and for Mr De Domenico to say that this is without basis is outrageously misleading. So, Mr Speaker, let me go on.

MR SPEAKER: I will allow it because you are coming back. You are explaining the personal nature, using the information that you - - -

MR BERRY: Indeed. Mr Speaker, I was approached by constituents in the Belconnen area, aged persons from a group of public housing residents at Collingrove Court in Scullin, about the removal of their bus service.

Mr De Domenico: What removal? There is no removal of any bus service.

MR SPEAKER: Just a moment.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I hear Mr De Domenico interject and say, "There is no removal". Let me read from the document which I will table shortly for members' edification:

The proposed routes reduce the number of services to Kippax from six ... to four ...

Route 409, of course, was to be changed so that these aged persons would not be able to catch a bus outside their aged persons units and, according to this proposal, would not have access to a bus to the Kippax centre, where many of them have to go for services - - -

MR SPEAKER: Be careful that you do not start debating the issue, Mr Berry.

MR BERRY: Indeed. I am just reporting the facts as they were reported to me, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Upon which you acted; is that correct?

MR BERRY: Upon which I acted. To accuse me of misrepresenting the facts is a bit thin. The fact of the matter is that there is a written proposal from ACTION which sets out the deletion of services to Kippax. Because of concomitant damage to businesses at the Kippax centre, shopkeepers have expressed concern to me. As a representative of those constituents, I believe I am entitled to make claims on their behalf on the basis of written information from a government source, that is, ACTION. ACTION clearly said that it was their intention to reduce services to Kippax. For Mr De Domenico to climb to his feet in this place and say that I have acted improperly by referring to a government-sourced document and by reacting to angry constituents who are concerned about the loss of their buses is over the top. Mr Speaker, this Government has been shown up - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order! I cannot allow that to continue.

MR BERRY: Okay; I withdraw that. Mr Speaker - - -

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