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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 7 Hansard (23 September) . . Page.. 2112 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

motion and subsequently the Government exhibits some philosophical difference to Mr Hargreaves or the Labor Party on industrial relations matters, we may be in breach of that motion on the floor of the Assembly. So I would ask members to think carefully about whether paragraph (3) makes any sense and whether it is supportable in the terms that it is put. We should not be requiring members to think in a certain way. We should ask them to do certain things, and that is what we mean.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, are you seeking leave to speak?

MR HARGREAVES: I have not spoken to Mr Humphries's motion.

MR SPEAKER: No, but Mr Humphries closed the debate.

MR HARGREAVES: He was a little quick. I seek leave to speak to that motion.

Leave granted.

MR HARGREAVES: Thank you, members, and thank you, Mr Speaker. I want to oppose splitting the question. As Mr Quinlan so eloquently put it, it is quite easy to support the first two paragraphs. Basically, we are all agreed on them. Let us make a statement here and now that we are all agreed on them. In other words, let us talk about the things we agree on and talk about the things we do not agree on. That is fine. I accept that. But, Mr Speaker, there is a linkage. If there was no linkage I would put two motions forward. That linkage comes down to integrity.

It should not have been necessary, Mr Speaker, to talk about bottom line financial results being the sole determinant of successful performance. It should not have been necessary to talk about what Mr Humphries has difficulty with, and I am not surprised at all to hear that he has difficulties with proper industrial relations. We have some processes in this country, we have some conventions in this country, and, I thought, we had some honour in this country, but we do not seem to hear of it. I am sorry about this and if I see pained looks across the chamber, then tough luck.

Mr Speaker, what I want to do is to show you the link in paragraph (3). What we are talking about here, as I mentioned before, is the big ask that this Government is asking of its senior management at ACTION. They are required to go and negotiate a government position knowing full well that, at the end of the day, they themselves are going to get sold off. If that is too hard to comprehend, Mr Speaker, then I am afraid that we have people here whose intelligence insults this place. We are talking about the atmosphere here. We are talking about the atmosphere of honour and trust.

Mr Osborne: Yes, you would know, too.

MR HARGREAVES: I would. Mr Osborne, it is a shame that you do not. Mr Speaker, what I am suggesting to members is - - -

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