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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (11 November) . . Page.. 3958 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

there and at least go for something. They are doing something, and they are setting their priorities. What we see from Labor in opposition is no attempt whatsoever to establish any of their priorities, other than to set their priorities on what the Government has done wrong. This is a minority government. You have the power to initiate change.

Mr Whitecross: You and I disagree about that, Michael.

MR MOORE: Mr Whitecross says that it is not true. I concede that there have been some attempts to change priorities by motions - indeed, very rarely; but there have been some attempts by legislation. In the vast majority of cases, those pieces of legislation have been successful. So, if you have a problem with the priorities of the Carnell Government, why do you not set about setting some priorities yourself, rather than sitting there embroiled in the notion of being disempowered? I will tell you the reason. It is that Labor and Liberal can think only in terms of government and opposition; that is all there is.

At least we have seen some changes in the Assembly recently. Credit goes to the Government for appointing a task force to look at government and how we are going to deal with government in the next little while. I hope that, with that task force appointed and with its reporting date after the election, Labor will begin to see its way clear to say, "Whilst we still are hoping and driving for majority government" - I understand why you are doing that; but I hope that you will at least have a second string to your bow - "what are some of the alternatives we can look at if there is not majority government?". I think there is an issue about, at the very least, keeping an open mind there. I hope that that will be the case and I hope, indeed, that my discussions with people within your party will do that.

Mr Speaker, one of the really positive things that have occurred over the last little while in this Assembly has been the very sensible way in which major pieces of legislation have been dealt with in a cooperative way. That is the right priority. It is a priority that was shared by Labor and by Liberal - - -

Ms McRae: What about the adoption legislation? It happened in the last Assembly, too. It is nothing new.

MR MOORE: Ms McRae interjects that, of course, it happened in the last Assembly as well. It did; but not to the same extent. I think, from what we have seen here, the most important priority for us all is to say, "How can we manage to work together for the best possible outcomes in Canberra?". This is the thing that we are all criticised for. If it is the case, then we ought to be criticised. The irony is that the criticism often comes from people who have no idea of what actually happens in here. Our priority should be to have much less of this sort of debate and to do much more of that working together to ensure the best possible outcomes for the people of the Territory.

MR HIRD (5.31): Mr Speaker, the subject of the matter of public importance is "the wrong priorities of the Carnell Liberal Government". Wayne Berry accuses this Government of having wasted $422m. His claims not only created anger within his own party, but again demonstrated his inability to understand the facts. I note that Mr Berry has been absent most of the time during this debate. Mr Berry should be the last person

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