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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1666 ..

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry believes so. Can we get on with it, or would you like to adjourn for a while and sort things out?

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, you have made the ruling. You are in charge of this place. You have said that I have imputed an improper motive to Mr Kaine. I would like you to explain what improper motive I have imputed to Mr Kaine. I do not believe that I have.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Kaine, you took offence.

Mr Kaine: Mr Speaker, let us recap. The Leader of the Opposition, first of all, said that I had a draft report, I then received some polling results and I withdrew the draft report and put another one in its place. That is a lie. Firstly, I did not get a draft report and replace it with another report. Secondly, I am not aware of any polling which would justify my changing my mind on the acceptance of a report. What he said was grossly untrue. It attributes some sort of base conduct to me. I take exception to it, and I want him to withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: There you are, Mr Whitecross. There is the explanation.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, what Mr Kaine is saying is that he does not think my story is true. I fail to see how he thinks that is imputing an improper motive. For the assistance of the house, I will withdraw, and I would like you, Mr Speaker, to present to this house a written ruling explaining how something that another member believes is not true amounts to an imputation of an improper motive. I simply do not see how you get that interpretation out of the standing orders.

MR SPEAKER: I will do that. I will look at that, Mr Whitecross.

Mr Kaine: Mr Speaker, since Mr Whitecross has graciously withdrawn his imputation, I withdraw my assertion that he tells lies.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Do you wish to continue, Mr Whitecross?

MR WHITECROSS: Yes. (Extension of time granted) Let me conclude by reiterating the point that, whatever the process, these changes have a lot more to do with Liberal Party polling than they have to do with any sort of rational or consistent approach by the Liberal Party to the business of operating a public transport system. The recommendations which Mr Kaine wants us to believe they wholeheartedly and earnestly agree with are in direct, 100 per cent contradiction of the policies that have been pursued by this Government over the last three years. They are absolutely taking the community of Canberra for mugs if they believe that Canberrans are going to believe that if they re-elect these people next February they will get an improvement in the public transport system along the lines of this report. They cannot be trusted, because they are the ones who have been the architects of the downgrading of ACTION, and they should not be trusted with the job of trying to put it back together.

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