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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1670 ..

Mr Whitecross: No, you have never had my unequivocal support - no way.

MR KAINE: You said that we did.

Mr Whitecross: It will be a cold day in hell when I give you my unequivocal support, Mr Kaine.

MR KAINE: It is all in the Hansard, so we will be able to draw Mr Whitecross into the debate at some future time.

Mr Whitecross said, "When you get your polling back, then you start doing things". Is it not interesting? Mr Whitecross jumped in today, boots and all, without ever having read the report, because he thought he could win a quick political point by giving us a bit of a kick in the head. If he had taken time to read the report and analyse it, he might have come up with a more reasoned response that might have done him some credit, instead of making him sound like nothing but a whinger. Mr Speaker, if anybody is starting to do something because they got their polling back, it is the Labor Party. They, and Mr Whitecross in particular, really do have the blowtorch on their belly right now. That is why we saw the half-baked, almost panicky response to this report today, instead of a reasoned response after Mr Whitecross had read it carefully.

Mr Speaker, I had no idea that the debate would be concluded today. I thought this place would have considered the report in far more detail over a longer period of time, with a considered debate on what the issues were; but no, the issue has been dealt with in half an hour because Mr Whitecross simply could not restrain himself from trying to make a quick political point. That is where the Labor Party stands on this and other issues. It is absolutely appalling.

Mrs Carnell: Mr Speaker, just on a point of clarification: When Mr Whitecross was speaking, it seemed to me that he indicated that he supported this report; but a minute ago he said that he did not support the workplace reform that is inherent in this report. I think it is very important that those opposite clarify their position.

Mr Whitecross: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: If you are going to allow these kinds of schoolgirl pranks from the Chief Minister - - -

MR SPEAKER: You have a personal explanation under standing order 46?

Mr Whitecross: I have to make a personal explanation.

MR SPEAKER: Proceed.

MR WHITECROSS (Leader of the Opposition): Mr Speaker, I made remarks in response to Mr Kaine's ministerial statement. I have, obviously, only just got the report. I will read the report in detail and I will form a detailed opinion on the report. In the meantime, I was able to make some very telling remarks in relation to the Minister's tabling statement, which I listened to carefully and was able to respond to fully.

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