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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1544 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

meeting a lobbyist of the tobacco industry; but, interestingly, I believe it was when I was involved in an inquiry into container deposit legislation quite some years ago. On the issue of smoke-free places, I verify what Mrs Carnell indicated before. I checked the record of the inquiry to see whether the tobacco industry put in a submission to the inquiry. They did not; nor did they appear.

Unfortunately, one of the things influencing Mr Berry in this situation is his close association with the Labor Club. The Labor Club, being one of the larger clubs in this town, has many tax benefits and other benefits that others do not have. Mr Berry takes this approach because they already have the wherewithal and are ready to go with their airconditioning. They will be able to meet the requirements. If we were talking about somebody who was principled about this - Mr Berry raised the issue of being principled - and strongly opposed smoking because of what it does to people's health, you would think that he would be part of a movement to refuse to take any money from a lobby organisation, an organisation closely associated with the Labor Party, namely, the Labor Club.

You would think that Mr Berry, recognising that smoking is widespread, would ban smoking and protect their workers. But, of course, the principled approach on these things does not go that far. I think it is an appropriate time to quote from the Crimes (Offences against the Government) Act.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, that was an imputation that I had taken money from the Labor Club.

Mr Humphries: You have, have you not? Do you not get money from the club?

Mr Berry: No, I do not.

Mrs Carnell: It says it in their annual report. It says that the Labor Party got money.

Mr Berry: Mr Berry is not the Labor Party. Mr Berry is an MLA and he does not take money. He does not sell out for anything.

MR MOORE: I would like to quote from the Crimes (Offences against the Government) Act 1989.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I raised a point of order.

MR SPEAKER: You did not actually say it was a point of order. You simply got up and started talking, which you do frequently. If you find that particular remark - - -

Mr Berry: I would like you to rule that it is out of order. That is all.

MR SPEAKER: Very well. Yes, I am happy to rule that the imputation is out of order. Do you want Mr Moore to withdraw it, though?

Mr Berry: I would have thought that you would have asked him to; but yes, I do.

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