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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 13 Hansard (3 December) . . Page.. 4347 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

I suppose that people like the newly Independent Ms Hill - I must say that I do not know her particularly well, although I have had a number of chats with her - had she been successful at the last Federal election, would have been in there working to achieve what they had promised. I imagine that there are genuine backbench members of the Liberal Party who do that, but the trouble is that they have to have the gumption to stand up to their leader in their party room meetings and say, "No, you are not going to go ahead with this", or, "No, you are not going to go ahead with that". Instead, they allow the concentration of power to occur. The best possible outcome we could get in the Federal Parliament at the next full election would be to have so many Independents that there is a viable crossbench and a minority government.

MR STEFANIAK (Minister for Education and Training) (4.50), in reply: I will speak very briefly. I will just remind Mr Whitecross of three things, Mr Speaker. Basically, you had better look to your own party first, Andrew. Firstly, that pamphlet you put out really did not say much. It certainly did not say what you would do. I am reminded of two other things. Firstly, there was the lady in North Canberra who rang up Kate Carnell and asked, "Well, who is the Leader of the Opposition?", and she had to tell her. Also, I understand that a member of your own party asked at a meeting, "Who is our new leader? I know he has a beard, but the only bloke I know with a beard in the Assembly is Gary Humphries, and he is in the Liberal Party". Really, Mr Whitecross, you talk about the Liberal Party and you talk about Independents. Mr Moore has had his spray, too, in relation to Independents. Whatever you might think of the Liberal Party, it is in government in a large number of Australian States and Territories. Really, I think you should look to your own party and put your own house in order.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

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