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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 6 Hansard (17 June) . . Page.. 1683 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

It was ACTION - not his area at all; but, of course, he has reasons. The next thing is that, having been provided with some information, while we are still discussing the issue, while we are in the middle of two meetings, trying not to posture - this includes Mr Osborne, Ms Tucker and a range of other members, including the Chief Minister - Mr Berry asks questions in the Estimates Committee in order to posture. Of course, that winds up on the front page of the paper and Mr Berry gets his posturing.

Then we have the second meeting and Mr Berry is invited again. In spite of that betrayal - "betrayal" is the correct word - Mr Berry is invited to the second meeting. Does he turn up to that one? He does not bother. This is the man who says, "We should sit around and talk about this sensibly". Ms Tucker could not make it to our second meeting wither; but she, at least, sent along her adviser so we could understand what the issues were. I must say that they were very sensible discussions carried out in a very sensible way. I am dealing with this in this way today because of the way Mr Berry and his former colleague Mr Connolly acted last time because they saw some political advantage and ran with it. I can tell you, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, that it has changed my attitude to dealing with Mr Berry. I will always change my attitude in dealing with anybody who does not deal with us in a straight way and engages in these sorts of betrayals.

Mr Berry then goes on to say that we have to be careful we do not send the wrong message. What is the right message we are sending at the moment? That it is okay to run a system whereby we show no compassion for people who may be able to find some relief by using medicinal cannabis? We will still fine them; we will still make them go through the courts. That is the first message we are sending. The second message Mr Berry is sending is that he is quite happy to go along with a system that causes police corruption, and so on. That is the sort of message he is sending when making these thoughtless, broad statements about the issue. You know as well as I do, Mr Berry, that when I have made the broad statement, "Prohibition does not work", I have stated again and again what I consider to be the problems, why it does not work and where it does not work. You know that very well.

Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, what I have done today is circulate a very sensible and carefully researched paper by somebody who worked in my office as an intern. Some members have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to have an academic intern in their offices. I would like to offer my thanks to Sarah Beech, who I think prepared an excellent paper. I know that she has been given her mark on it - she received a very good mark - as part of her honours degree in law. I think it provides us with some good insight. Perhaps we can get some sense into this issue, instead of the sort of posturing that Mr Berry talks about. If we can move away from some of the hypocrisy that we have seen from the Labor Party, particularly from Mr Berry, I think we have a chance to move forward.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: The matter of public importance - - -

Mr Berry: Time has run out, has it? I thought we could all have a second go.

Mrs Carnell: No, we all cannot have a second go. It has run out now. I cannot have one and you cannot have one.

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