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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 12 Hansard (19 November) . . Page.. 3708 ..

Mr Humphries: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This motion is about some specific issues that have been raised. I think that if Mr Berry has anything new that has not already been debated in the Assembly he should bring it forward and we should debate it. For him to rake over old censure motions, and there are plenty of them of course, in order to be able to find something to say against Mrs Carnell exhibits some desperation, I would suggest, in his approach to this issue.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I remind Mr Humphries that in his practice as a lawyer he might, on some occasions before a judge, have mentioned the form of some prisoners before they were sentenced. I am merely drawing the attention of this Assembly to this Minister's form. In closing that debate Mr Osborne said:

I was accused by Mr Humphries of making a mistake. I think the only mistake I made was believing what I was told.

That was the mistake the community of the ACT made in respect of this Minister. (Extension of time granted) The fact is that we passed a motion. It was given to the Government and, as far as I am concerned, it was ignored. Mr Speaker, all along the way the wishes of this Assembly have been ignored, as well as the wishes of the community and the promises that were made to the community in respect of issues that were going to be delivered in the course of this Assembly. The community expects a minority government to be called to book in relation to its performance. That is what this motion is about. On that occasion the Assembly voted - - -

Mrs Carnell: It is nowhere in the motion, Wayne. Nowhere in the motion does it say that.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR BERRY: That is the second time that Mrs Carnell has ignored your ruling. I would ask, if she does it again, that you take action.

MR SPEAKER: I do not uphold the interjection anyway. The preamble to the motion states "to adequately administer the health portfolio including". It is not exhaustive. I think there is a fairly broad debate as a result.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, that is a novel approach to interjections. On that occasion the Assembly voted 10 votes to seven to censure the Minister for Health. That has been the pattern set by this Minister. When caught out, promise whatever it takes, but never give out all of the facts. Glitzy promises; honeyed words. We get them all the time.

On 28 March this year this Assembly once again raised its concerns at the approach of the Minister for Health and again passed a censure motion, and again by 10 votes to seven. This time the Minister was censured for recklessly misleading this house over both the VMO contracts and her failure to control the health budget. Mrs Carnell has risen to the standard of being unique. In any other parliament in this country a Minister found to have

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