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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 4851 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

In this case we will be supporting the motion and we will be opposing the amendment, for the reasons assigned. We urge the Government to take into consideration those points because we could get to the situation where it could be argued that in every debate in this place members are entitled to have their advisers sit beside them and supply them with notes and do research as they speak. Keep that in mind, members of the Government, when you are thinking about this, because that is what in fact is being proposed. It is a very dangerous precedent that you are setting if you intend to support these people. You ought to be careful about this proposal.

Mr Moore: I seek leave to make a short statement on this matter.

Mr Berry: No; you have already spoken, Michael.

Mr Moore: I presume leave is not granted.

Mr Berry: That is right.

Leave not granted.

MS TUCKER (5.09): I want to speak to this amendment because what I have heard from Mr Berry has shown once again that Labor will just take this black-and-white line that has no depth at all in it. We are interested in getting some kind of quality into the work in this place. We have seen Labor members in very recent weeks not able to cope with their workload and ending up having to be helped by the crossbenches, and there are fewer of us on the crossbenches. So what I am saying today is: What is the point? I also understand, Mr Speaker, that Mr Berry was quite happy for Mr Humphries to have assistance in this place when Mr Humphries was in opposition, so suddenly everything has changed once again. Once again it is Labor changing their tune as it suits them; voting on each issue on its merits, Mr Berry says, and that is exactly right. The line changes depending on the issue. There is no consistency in Labor's performance in this place, and it is a disgrace.

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister) (5.10): Mr Speaker, very briefly, the position of the Government is that we will be happy to support Mr Moore today on this issue. The Government believes strongly that this should not be seen as a precedent where - - -

Mr Berry: It is going to be.

MRS CARNELL: We probably already have a precedent, Mr Berry, in terms of the Electoral Bill. I think one of the things that we as an Assembly need to do during the break is to set rules on how this can be done. We believe that others in the Assembly may be able to have advisers when the Government has advisers. If the Government needs an adviser, if a Minister needs an adviser on the floor, we can see a reason why others may need advisers too. If the Government does not need an adviser that would tend to indicate it is not a complicated Bill, and if it is not a complicated Bill we would see no reason why advisers would be required. Mr Moore, I think, made that comment. He was talking about only complicated Bills.

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