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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 2 Hansard (11 March) . . Page.. 634 ..
Mr Wood: It was moved and passed.
MR SPEAKER: Yes. You will close the debate now, Chief Minister.
MS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (5.21): Mr Speaker, I thank those members who made a positive contribution to this debate, and there were a couple. I do thank Mr Rugendyke and Mr Osborne for that positive approach. I suppose one of the tragic parts of the rest of this debate is that you would have to say that it has been littered with pretty gratuitous abuse. I have to say that the level of debate has been extremely disappointing.
Mr Wood: Well, you set the pattern.
Mr Stanhope: Yes, we can sympathise.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MS CARNELL: Mr Speaker, most people have been heard in relative silence, apart from me.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, and I would like to see the debate - - -
Mr Stanhope: Whilst they were throwing insults in the chamber.
Mr Hargreaves: What a hypocritical piece of garbage. You came in here and had a go instantly.
MR SPEAKER: Order, please! I would like to see it end in that manner too, please.
MS CARNELL: Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I think this is all a bit tragic, taking into account that this is the same Legislative Assembly that has demanded to have a higher level of involvement in government decision-making. I give Mr Osborne and Mr Rugendyke credit here because they have certainly been urging more input into the budget process. They actually treated this debate sensibly. But, Mr Speaker, other members have also been seeking greater input into government decision-making, yet they proceeded to claim in this debate that this was the Government abrogating its responsibility. As I said in my initial speech, the Government is more than happy to bring down a budget. Yes, it is the role of - - -
Mr Berry: You certainly told us it was not about a 10-second media episode the same night on television.
MR SPEAKER: Just be quiet, Mr Berry, please!
MS CARNELL
: Mr Speaker, the Government has said categorically that we are very happy to bring down a budget and to stand by that budget, to sink or swim with that budget in the community generally; but, unfortunately, the Labor Party has opposed every single one of our budgets, unlike our approach in opposition. We certainly argued our position with regard to their budgets, but at the end of the day accepted a government's
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