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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 4705 ..

Mr Whitecross: On your ruling, Mr Speaker: Mr Osborne last week made a general assertion against members of the Government that they were untrustworthy. Mr Kaine took exception to that, and you made Mr Osborne withdraw any offence that he had caused to Mr Kaine. Now Mr Kaine is refusing the same courtesy to Ms Follett. I think you should employ some consistency in your rulings and ask Mr Kaine to withdraw his assertion.

MR SPEAKER: Order! I am about to rule on this point of order. Mr Kaine did not suggest that Ms Follett - - -

Mr Kaine: Mr Speaker, notwithstanding that, if Ms Follett is so precious, I withdraw it in connection with Ms Follett.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Kaine. Now, can we get on with your explanation, Ms Follett?

MS FOLLETT: I will indeed continue with my statement, Mr Speaker. Mr Humphries went on in his 45-minute address to the Assembly to discuss the development of the Civic Business Watch. He discussed the process to implement the recommendations of the Community Safety Committee's reports on Civic and Manuka. He announced the reappointment of Mr Ken Begg as the chair of the Community Safety Committee. He went on at the most incredible length. He went on to talk about the laws in relation to selling alcohol to an intoxicated person. He described the increase in the powers of the Liquor Licensing Board. He talked about the structure of the Liquor Licensing Board. He talked about the use of occupancy loadings as a safety measure in licensed premises. Mr Speaker, I can assure the house that this is one of the most extensive statements on any subject ever made by a Minister in this Assembly.

I would like to read out what it was that Mr Connolly said at the end of that statement. This is what he said:

We are pleased that many of our initiatives are being built on. I am very pleased that Ken Begg and David Biles are being reappointed to their respective positions as chair and deputy chair of the Community Safety Committee, because they have done a fine job for the people of Canberra. I am pleased that Mr Humphries has abandoned the traditional knee-jerk 3.00 am or 4.00 am closing time on which endless amounts of radio and print time were expended in the lead-up to last year's election, when Mr Humphries was going to do that.

Mr Connolly would have been disappointed since then. He went on:

I am pleased that, now in government, he is being more responsible.

That was a short-lived hope. Mr Connolly went on:

Now, in the pre-Christmas period, is the time when traditionally the ACT Government reminds the community of its responsibilities.

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