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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 2 Hansard (11 March) . . Page.. 569 ..
MR HIRD
(continuing):and for having the will and energy to actively pursue the benefits which it offers. I trust that my dissenting report will point the parliament in the right direction in regard to this important initiative.
MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move an amendment. I have already spoken, but I seek leave to speak again.
Leave granted.
MR BERRY: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I intend to move an amendment.
Mr Humphries: Can we see the amendment?
MR BERRY: Yes, you can. Mr Speaker, the performance of Mr Hird in the committee and outside is like a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance and I, as a committee member, feel quite offended by the approach that he has taken. I would not have minded if there had been such a strident approach taken during committee proceedings, but everything was warm and cuddly throughout the proceedings and we got on famously. Then we get this vitriolic attack on the committee, the heat of which was not evident in Mr Hird's involvement in the committee process. As soon as this amendment is circulated I intend to move it. It will have the effect of noting the report - - -
Mr Humphries: What does it say?
MR BERRY: Let me finish. It will have the effect of noting the report and rejecting the dissenting report by Mr Hird.
Mr Humphries: Come on. That is hardly fair. He is entitled to put his dissenting report forward.
Mr Hird: I am entitled to do that.
MR BERRY: I do not care if that is his view, but that is not the view that was expressed in the committee process in order that we could argue the position. We were not able to challenge in the committee process the things that Mr Hird has said. I do not mind somebody having a strong view on anything. I have had a strong view on a few things myself in the past, and I have stridently argued them. I have been passionate about them, and on occasions I have even been angry about them. But in the committee process we are entitled to be able to assess them.
Mr Humphries: Yes, and put your views without fear or favour, as Mr Hird has done.
MR BERRY
: And put your views without fear or favour. These strident views were not put before the committee, and that is what bothers me mostly. I do not mind if somebody has a strident view about things, but I do not want it sprung on me after the event. It is much more important for committee members to know where everybody is coming from and to have a complete debate. If what Mr Hird has said in his dissenting report was relevant to the argument and it was necessary to be put in such a strident fashion, I am happy with that, I do not mind that sort of contest of ideas, but I did not have the
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