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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (9 April) . . Page.. 813 ..

MR BERRY (continuing):

It is a lie to say that about Mr Osborne. It is a lie to say it about members of the Labor Party - an absolute and outright black lie. It is not something that you lot opposite are uncomfortable with, I can tell. For you to come in here and urge people who have been elected by the community not to vote on certain issues because of a political move by you is absolutely disgraceful and just shows that you will go to the gutter on any issue if it suits you. Mr Moore could not see a skerrick of conflict of interest when it came to Mrs Carnell regulating her own pharmacy, but he tries to describe this as a substantial financial benefit flowing to members of the Australian Labor Party in this place. That is an absolute lie.

Mr Speaker, the Liberals will create a monster for themselves if they pursue this course. Let us look at their record. Take the Advance Bank, for example. The Liberal Party banks with the Advance Bank. The Advance Bank and the St George Bank have a monopoly on the Kick Start program.

Mrs Carnell: Bendigo Bank are in now.

MR BERRY: At first they had it. Is that a conflict of interest? A number of organisations in Tasmania have donated $20,000 to the Liberal Party. We would like to know who they are, what their interest in the ACT is and what they will get in return. Let us look at the motor trades. The Motor Trade Electoral Action Committee donated $1,750 to the Liberal Party. After the election, the Liberals dropped the Labor strategy of getting more independents into the market. What a coincidence! Should the Liberals be making decisions on petrol prices? Mr Speaker, how about Manuka? Only this morning the Assembly voted on the redevelopment of Manuka. The Liberals voted; yet they received a donation from a Manuka trader. Under Mrs Carnell's new rules, she should have ruled her party out. No. What hypocrisy! We end up with a new principle that has been developed here. You give donations to your enemies so they cannot vote on certain issues. What a joke!

Let us look at Mrs Carnell's $1m. This will show up the hypocrisy that comes from the Liberals. Total donations to the Liberal Party in 1994-95 were $453,499; in 1995-96, $598,660. The secret 250 Club in 1994-95 donated $99,500 or thereabouts; in 1995-96, $50,854.

Mrs Carnell: It is not $300,000, is it?

MR BERRY: Mrs Carnell thinks that, if you receive $100,000, it is okay. (Extension of time granted) The Liberal Party's earnings from being a commercial property developer in 1994-95 were $108,500; in 1995-96, $120,500. From Becton Group Construction, in 1995-96, they received $17,000; from the Licensed Clubs Association, in 1994-95, $12,000; from Project Coordination, in 1994-95, $3,500; from the Master Builders Association, in 1994-95, $2,500; from the Motor Trades Association, in 1995-96, $1,750; from Millers of Manuka, in 1995-96, $1,500. That is $1m. If you apply the Carnell principle, the Liberals will have to exclude themselves from any debate on ACT property issues, real estate issues, any commercial contact with any of their donors, petrol pricing, the motor industry or the Manuka redevelopment. What a joke! It is one rule for the Labor Party and another one for you; that is what it is.

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