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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 13 Hansard (3 December) . . Page.. 4484 ..

MRS LITTLEWOOD: Listen, Mr Corbell, and you may learn something on occasions. Mr Whitecross, during one of his many chats this afternoon in his theatre of overacting, mentioned that I had undertaken a stunt. Mr Whitecross may mention anything he wants to about me. I do not care what you say about me, Mr Whitecross. But you have called a legitimate fundraising exercise for a local charity which deals with children with severe physical disabilities a stunt.

Mr Corbell: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker.

MRS LITTLEWOOD: It was not a stunt.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MRS LITTLEWOOD: I suggest you say the same thing to people outside.

MR SPEAKER: Sit down, Mrs Littlewood. A point of order has been taken.

Mr Corbell: Standing order 46 does not allow Mrs Littlewood to debate the issue across the chamber, Mr Speaker. It is for making a personal explanation.

MR SPEAKER: That is true.

Mr Hird: Mr Speaker, on the point of order raised by my colleague Mr Corbell from the Opposition: I would just like to say that the pulling of stunts like that by the Leader of the Opposition does little for the credibility of the Labor Party in this chamber, because it is a worthwhile charity.

MR SPEAKER: Order! The house will come to order. I remind members that, having obtained leave from the Chair, which Mrs Littlewood has in this case, a member may explain matters of a personal nature. That is, in fact, what Mrs Littlewood is doing.

MRS LITTLEWOOD: Mr Speaker, the particular banner in question - I will not mention the charity, because I do not want it dragged into some political debate - was being sold to various people around Canberra at $1,000 a head, firstly, to raise funds for kids in wheelchairs and, secondly, to advertise a particular fundraising campaign that week. The charity is a local charity; it does not have access to a lot of funds elsewhere.

MR SPEAKER: That is the personal explanation.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation under standing order 46, too. Mrs Littlewood, in her personal explanation, suggested that I had demonstrated some disrespect for the charity in question. Needless to say, I have no disrespect for the charity in question or for the idea of fundraising for charity. My reference to a stunt was directed purely at Mrs Littlewood.

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