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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 5 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 1352 ..

MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Mr Attorney, I would remind you that you should not give a legal opinion on matters in relation to these things.

MR HUMPHRIES: I will certainly abide by that ruling, Mr Speaker. I think I have answered the question quite satisfactorily and quite comprehensively. However, I think we should be careful before we cast stones in respect of the use of government documents, including Cabinet documents. There were some Cabinet documents running around yesterday, I understand, one of which appeared in the media yesterday. I am sure Mr Kaine would join me in condemning the use of those Cabinet documents from a previous Cabinet meeting in a way which, Mr Speaker, might have constituted the handling of stolen property, if indeed that was the case.

Mr Kaine: Indeed I do, and if Mr Humphries is implying that I have those documents he had better be prepared to substantiate it.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, is there a point of order that Mr Kaine is raising, or what?

MR SPEAKER: Order! No, there was no implication. If you wish to make a personal explanation, you can do it at the end of question time.

Mr Berry: There was. There was a very clear imputation.

MR SPEAKER: No, it was not an imputation. I listened carefully to that. I would not have tolerated it.

Mr Berry: I think you only listen with one eye, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: You might allow your colleague to ask a question. I call Mr Quinlan, please.

Goods and Services Tax

MR QUINLAN: Chief Minister, look upon this question as a cry for assistance or help. The Howard tax package, at page 172 - - -

Ms Carnell: You cannot ask questions about Federal documents.

MR QUINLAN: It is a public document.

MR SPEAKER: Let us hear it out, please.

MR QUINLAN: It includes an entry which says that government administration will increase by 7.9 per cent under a GST. Can you confirm that that is a correct figure, given that you have had a little bit more briefing on GST than we have?

MS CARNELL: That is fine. Look, I can answer that one, Mr Speaker, without a problem.

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