Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 5 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 1337 ..

Mr Kaine: I think the Minister has made his point. He wants to debate the content of the Bill. He is not entitled to do that until it is brought back for debate.

MR MOORE: That is what I am telling you I want to do. That is what I want to do in my speech.

MR SPEAKER: I think the Minister has made his point on why he wants to suspend standing orders.

MR MOORE: Not yet, Mr Speaker. There are a few more points on which I will try to encourage members to allow me to suspend standing orders. I wish to suspend standing orders so that I can identify the grave risk that Mr Osborne's definition of a medical condition places on the rights of people in the ACT. I want to suspend standing orders to explain why it is that this piece of legislation is the most divisive piece of legislation that has been introduced and to explain to members why it is that it has been snuck into this Assembly in an entirely inappropriate way, unlike any other matter of public interest.

Mr Speaker, I want to suspend the standing orders to explain to members why it is that we should have expected to have this matter dealt with today in the usual way, so that it could be presented to the people of the ACT. The media could have been here to record the way Mr Osborne presented a Bill. What has, in fact, occurred is something entirely different. Mr Speaker, those are the reasons that I seek the suspension of standing orders. I would encourage members to support the motion.

Mr Speaker, I ask members to approve the suspension of standing orders to allow me to explain the impact this legislation will have on my department. I want to explain to members the clear impact it will have on an area within my department, a facility in the Moore Street building. I want to suspend standing orders in order to explain to people the impact that it will have on women around Australia. I want to suspend standing orders to explain where it is that Mr Osborne in his speech has already begun misleading people on what this legislation is about. Mr Speaker, those are the reasons why I wish to suspend standing orders.

MR BERRY (11.40): Mr Speaker, I will be supporting Mr Moore's motion for the suspension of standing orders. The reason that I will be supporting his move to suspend standing orders is that the Health Minister is entitled to express a view on a very important piece of legislation for women in the ACT, and I want to hear it. I also want to express a view about the sneaky and spineless way that this Bill has been introduced into the Assembly. These are the actions of a fanatic who, in a very spineless way, has introduced a piece of legislation without bringing it to the attention of the public of the ACT. This is not Paul Osborne's Assembly. It is the Assembly of the people of the ACT and they are entitled to know when legislation is coming on in this place. To be so spineless as to ensure that this is not on the notice paper and the daily program needs to be brought to public attention. This member is so spineless that he wants to avoid public debate. This member is a fanatic on this issue, but he is not prepared to debate it publicly or allow for it to be discussed broadly in the ACT. I see that Mr Osborne laughs and thinks it is a joke. This is not a joke. This is serious business. This Assembly is not Mr Osborne's Assembly.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .