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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (9 December) . . Page.. 4758 ..

Ms McRae: They were so public that you could not avoid it.

MR HUMPHRIES: That may be, but I took the trouble to write to members or speak to them personally about the position that the Government was taking, to explain where we stood and to give them information about the approach we were taking in those interstate fora. I must say that, generally, I had strong support from members on both of those matters, and they are not isolated examples. We will continue to apply that policy; but now, obviously, there will be a framework in which to do it, as is the case, for example, with the Statutory Appointments Act.

We have complied, I hope, with the terms of that Act as it applies in this place. We supported the Act when it came before this house. Those opposite, of course, did not support it when it first came before us. We have complied with that, and in many cases we have gone beyond that. We have consulted on appointments which are not subject to the Act but which we feel members ought to be aware of or on which we want members' views before we make an appointment. That, again, reflects the understanding on this side of the house that change is very much a part of the political system in the ACT.

MR WHITECROSS: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a personal explanation under standing order 46.

MR SPEAKER: Leave is granted.

MR WHITECROSS: Mrs Carnell, in her personal explanation, said that I had accused her of signing an interstate agreement on tax, and indicated that that was not the case. I certainly said that she had signed up to an agreement in relation to tax reform. In fact, in her own statement to the house on 4 November, she said, "The Leaders Forum agreed to a number of key principles of taxation reform". That, in fact, seems to me to fall very squarely within the definition of "interstate agreement" in Mr Moore's Bill. Perhaps Mr Moore, in his right of reply, would like to explain whether he thinks it does.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, there is a distinction between making an agreement and agreeing with someone's point of view. If I agree with Ms McRae when she says something in this place, it does not mean that I am entering into an agreement with her.

MR SPEAKER: Order! I do not know who gets the elephant stamp today, but it is a pretty close run.

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister): Mr Speaker, I do object. What I said very clearly in the house was that State leaders, and that includes, by the way, Mr Carr - - -

Ms McRae: Mr Speaker, why is Mrs Carnell addressing us? Is she taking a point of order or giving a standing order 46 explanation?

MRS CARNELL: I am making a personal explanation.

MR SPEAKER: Yes; it is a personal explanation under standing order 46.

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