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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 14 Hansard (11 December) . . Page.. 5046 ..

Mr Moore: And you still did not get the numbers. You did not even get the numbers on that.

MS TUCKER: I did not know how to do the numbers then. I have learnt that since.

MR SPEAKER: Ms Tucker, would you like to move that now?

MS TUCKER: No, I quite like that one. On the whole I have enjoyed working with other members in this Assembly It is a small place and we do have to work together quite often. It takes a bit of getting used to to begin with when you are in here. You are being abused in the chamber and then you go outside and you can share a joke with the person who was abusing you five minutes before. I think it is a really important lesson that you do learn to do that, otherwise it would be a very unpleasant experience working here.

I am pleased with what we have achieved in our first term. I think we have put a number of very important issues on the agenda, especially in relation to integrating environmental and social concerns into economic systems. We are very happy to have had legislation passed on battery hens, domestic violence, gambling, energy ratings and the Auditor-General. The planning Bill was passed, of course, but it was gutted by Labor and the Liberals. There are many ways you can contribute apart from legislation, as we all know, and it is often the more subtle work here that does not grab headlines that delivers the greatest results for the Canberra community. I also have particularly enjoyed my work as chair of the Social Policy Committee. I believe that through that experience I have learnt an incredible lot and met a lot of really fantastic people in the community. I feel very privileged to have had that experience.

There are a couple of more endearing moments I can remember. I remember one day Michael Moore being so furiously angry here that I was getting wet by the spit, and Ms Horodny saying "Michael, get a valium". Last night I was amused too by Mr Cornwell. (Extension of time granted) I bumped into the Speaker last night and he made the comment that he would rather slit his wrists than live in a world ruled by the Greens. I was surprised, but when I reflected on that I thought I had seen the Speaker leave his chair three times and I think it was our fault each time. It was over the prayer, God, the Queen and the flag.

MR SPEAKER: And I have not changed my decision, by the way.

Mr Moore: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. I do have a razor blade.

MS TUCKER: I think that is probably all. No, there was one other one that was really funny. When we were debating the tabletop dancing it was all quite hurried and stressful. We had 10 things to look at. I had had a briefing with Gary Humphries. I came back downstairs and I was looking at the Act again. I rang him up quickly because I was trying to understand the definitions, and I said, "Is that you, Gary?". He said, "Yes". I said, "Are breasts classified as genitalia?", and he said, "Is this an obscene phone call?".

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