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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 2 Hansard (21 May) . . Page.. 467 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: No, she did not. She had the approval of the Executive to present it, but it was not an Executive Bill. In precisely the same way, Mr Moore has the Government's leave to introduce his Bill, but it is - - -

Mr Berry: But his is not a health matter.

MR HUMPHRIES: It does not matter. I hear Mr Berry's argument. You can introduce a private members Bill in Government business, as long as it is in your own area of responsibility, but otherwise you cannot. That is a very narrow principle. Mr Speaker, can I be allowed to put my arguments on the table? Mrs Carnell used - - -

Mr Berry: You did not consult with us, Gary.

MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Berry! You have already spoken.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mrs Carnell used precisely the same procedure last year. She rose and sought leave to introduce her Bill, and she was granted leave by the chamber. The difference on this occasion is that Mr Moore, an Independent member of the Government, is introducing the Bill, and the Labor Party cannot handle the concept. They cannot handle the idea that you can somehow have a different point of view within a government. The Labor Party believes in control. They believe that everybody in the Government has to believe the same thing; that anybody who is not part of that camp has to be kicked out. The idea of doing it in some different way causes them enormous problems.

Mr Berry: Consultation.

MR HUMPHRIES: The reason that there was no consultation about this, Mr Berry, is that we used the same procedure last year and you did not object to it.

Mr Berry: No, no, no. You did not even tell us it was coming.

MR HUMPHRIES: You did not object to it, Mr Berry. You were silent. You sat on your seat in the chamber and you crossed your arms - - -

Mr Moore: In 1996.

MR HUMPHRIES: In 1996, I am told. You crossed your arms and you did nothing about it.

Mr Berry: It was discussed in the Government business meeting.

MR HUMPHRIES: No, it was not discussed, because it was not part of the Government's program. Only the Government's program came forward to the Government business meeting. Mr Speaker, Mr Berry is trying to score a point against Mr Moore in his usual antagonistic fashion. He is unable to comprehend the idea that this is a different set-up, a new way of doing things, and that it has, in fact, been done once before.

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