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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (4 September) . . Page.. 2987 ..

MR BERRY: No, it was not. It used to be okay. You used to be able to say anything collectively.

MR SPEAKER: It was ruled on at least 12 months ago.

Mrs Carnell: Yesterday Ms McRae ruled against it.

MR SPEAKER: Correct. She did and she did it correctly.

MR BERRY: I am prepared to go with the flow. If it has changed today, I am happy to cop that.

MR SPEAKER: We did it, Mr Berry, to stop individuals - - -

MR BERRY: I withdraw "shonky". How flawed the thinking processes of those who support this legislation are. Does that make the grade?

Mr Moore is being deliberately obtuse or is hopelessly ignorant about this piece of legislation. It very clearly prevents anybody from appealing against the Minister's decision not to declare them. You cannot have a situation like that. That is an impossible situation. The Minister is all-powerful in declaring an organisation to be an organisation for which clubs will get credit of some sort, but there is no right of appeal. That is disgraceful. For Mr Moore to stand up here and take the line that he has taken is equally disgraceful.

Let us go back to the issue of voting on this matter. Mr Moore rose to his feet and gave us a colourful rendition of what he would do were he to have a conflict of interest. Mr Moore is also on the record of this place as saying that he has taken resources from the Australian hotel industry. This Bill, if it is carried in its current form, will discriminate in favour of the licensed hotels. If Mr Moore were true to the word that he put to us a little while ago, he would not have voted on the Bill. I think that there was a strong element of hypocrisy in Mr Moore's speech. It is very clear that Mr Moore's perception of a conflict of interest for other people is not the same as it is for himself.

I note Mr Osborne's wish not to be involved in the process because of his concerns about a conflict of interest. He has declared his interest in the matter. Everybody knows where he is coming from, and I do not think it needs to go any further than that. At the outset, I failed to declare an interest in the matter. I am a member of two or maybe three - I have forgotten how many - licensed clubs. To that extent, I have an interest, but I do not think I have a conflict of interest in the matter.

My concern is about the universal coverage of members across the ACT by licensed clubs and the significant benefits which will be affected by this legislation. The legislation is aimed at taking benefits from members of clubs and putting them into other areas determined by a Minister of the Government. You cannot have a situation where if the Minister refuses to declare an organisation that organisation has no further rights. That is what this legislation sets out to do and that is what my amendments seek to prevent.

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