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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 8 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 2504 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

The issues were extensively discussed at the round table that I referred to. It is important to bear in mind that at each of those discussions the Labor Party was represented. It was represented by its spokesperson on electoral matters. I would say that a substantial degree of agreement was reached on a number of issues at those round tables, and it led to there being, I think, a basis on which the Assembly could proceed to consider a package of amendments to the Electoral Act. The overall package is presently being considered and will be put before this house, hopefully, in the next few weeks. That will entirely reflect the agreement reached at the round tables.

I appreciate that there has been a change of leadership in the Labor Party in the last seven days and that that has had a consequence for the management of the key issues that the Labor Party is running in the Territory, but if it means that all the agreements that representatives of the Australian Labor Party have reached with other spokespeople - - -

Mr Berry: It does not mean anything of the sort. It means that there has been a change in the leadership of the Labor Party. That is all it means.

MR HUMPHRIES: In that case, the agreements that have been reached with representatives of the Australian Labor Party in discussions and round tables of the kinds that I have referred to in the last few months, I assume, stand.

Mr Berry: No. I reserve the right to review them.

MR HUMPHRIES: Maybe you do reserve the right to review them; but the point is that I also reserve the right to proceed on the basis that, until otherwise advised, the agreement that was given freely on behalf of the Australian Labor Party stands.

Mr Berry: You have been told. We do not agree.

MR HUMPHRIES: You did not tell me until the Bill was brought on today. You saw it on the notice paper. You can read - - -

Mr Berry: I did not have to tell you. It was Michael Moore's Bill, not yours. I told Michael.

MR HUMPHRIES: I am sorry; you did not tell me. We all had discussions about it.

Mr Berry: It was Michael's Bill.

MR HUMPHRIES: But you told Michael you were happy for it to come on today.

Mr Berry: And I told him today we were not ready to proceed with it and I wanted it adjourned.

MR HUMPHRIES: You told him today?

Mr Berry: Yes.

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