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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 4846 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Mr Speaker, you took advice, but it was your ruling. What you have done is to allow or to indicate that you will allow - and I now realise that a decision has been turned over to the Assembly - different sets of rules for one member and for other members. It is totally inappropriate, Mr Speaker, for that to be the case. This is not just a situation of Mr Humphries and these particular public servants. I have no personal objection to the particular public servants. It has nothing to do with specific public servants. That is not the question at hand. It is whether or not an individual member is entitled to have support or whether or not members are entitled to have support on the floor of the house. Mr Speaker, it is quite clear that there is a general view that they are not. Then let us be consistent with that, and say, "If members are going to manage, they can".

Mr Speaker, this is a complicated Bill. As I pointed out, I was working through this Bill until approximately midnight last night; I was working on it at the weekend; I was working on it late on Sunday; and so on - as was everybody who is interested in this area. Mr Speaker, this is a situation where I am feeling put upon. Indeed, it compares to today, when I was asked a question and was very restricted in the way I could answer it. When Ministers answered questions, they were not restricted. So, yes, I do feel put upon. I think that it is entirely inappropriate that that should happen, Mr Speaker.

There is a final comment that I would like to make, because we are talking about suspending standing orders. In order to allow Mr Humphries to move a motion, it is entirely inappropriate for us to suspend the standing orders. You have already indicated to me a ruling that there is not going to be assistance. You should be consistent with your ruling and not allow the suspension of standing orders. You, Mr Speaker, should vote against it.

MR SPEAKER: Just before I call Ms Tucker, let me correct one point that you made, Mr Moore. You said that I was somehow involved in refusing you leave for this assistance. My understanding was that you withdrew the request. That is the only information I received, Mr Moore.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I would like to clarify that, just to ensure that I am in no way misrepresenting you. Indeed, Mr Speaker, I think your verdict is correct. I was informed that the whips did not approve of what I had said. As I recall, I did actually say that to you. I accept your rendition.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MS TUCKER (4.54): Mr Speaker, I would like to express my concern about this process as well. I think it is not appropriate. Ms McRae keeps interjecting, "It is a Minister. Therefore, it is all right". The point is that we have in this place only 17 people, who are actually trying to do the work that we have been given to do. We consider that this is important legislation. If people could rise above such meaningless comments as "It is a Minister" and actually look at the quality of work that comes out of this place, I think it would be fair to say that, on such a complicated Bill, all members would support other members in this place - in this case, Mr Moore and Ms Horodny - also having assistance. Because there is not that equity in this arrangement, we will not be supporting Mr Humphries having assistance for this particular Bill.

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