Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 1 Hansard (18 February) . . Page.. 66 ..

MR WOOD (continuing):

(2) calls on Mr Howard to restore the funding that he promised and so ensure that justice and equity are available to all in the community.

Madam Deputy Speaker, in the debate on the matter of public importance just concluded, I indicated that I would not repeat all the arguments I had presented at that time. I will simply restate this: Firstly, we have all agreed that legal aid is absolutely essential. I particularly thank Ms Reilly for pointing out some of the very significant factors involved in that. It is important; it must be available; it must continue. Secondly, Mr Howard gave a promise. Perhaps it was not a core promise - not that I ever heard at the time of the Federal election campaign that Mr Howard had promises that were core promises and promises that could be forgotten about. But that promise from the coalition's "Law and Justice - For All Of Us" policy statement said:

A Liberal and National Government will maintain current levels of legal aid funding and funding to community legal centres.

We, in this Assembly, believe that that promise must be kept, in the interests of equity in justice. That is the purpose of this motion.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General) (4.56): Mr Speaker, I indicated in the debate on the MPI that we, on this side of the chamber, had seen the motion that Mr Wood had circulated and we proposed to support the thrust of it. It gives me no particular pleasure to have to do that in respect of the Federal Government; but, as I made clear to members during the debate on the matter of public importance, this Government takes seriously its view that the primary responsibility that we have is to the people of the ACT, not to colleagues of our own political persuasion elsewhere in government. So, Mr Speaker, the Government intends to support the motion.

However, amendments in my name have been circulated. I intend to amend the motion because I am not sure what role Mr Howard personally has played in the decision to break an election promise and, therefore, I believe that it is fair to focus on the Federal Government as a whole in the decision that the Federal Government has taken. I seek leave to move together the amendments that I have circulated.

Leave granted.

MR HUMPHRIES: I move:

Omit "the Prime Minister, Mr Howard, and".

Omit "calls on Mr Howard", substitute "calls on the Federal Government".

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .