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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 4 Hansard (20 April) . . Page.. 1009 ..

MR STANHOPE: I do. I have retrieved today other editorials by the Canberra Times on the ACTEW issue and the ACTEW debate during last year.

Mr Osborne: They are never consistent.

MR STANHOPE: They are not consistent. The Canberra Times is about as consistent as the Liberal Party in relation to this issue, namely, totally inconsistent. The last editorial by the Canberra Times is just appalling. It is puerile, stupid. Look at this from the pseudo-lefties out there, the wine and cheese night pinko lefties at the Canberra Times:

The private sector can do it better and pass on the fruits of competition to consumers.

That is now the view, of interest to me, coming from the Canberra Times a week after the Rural Press matter. At least we will get some honesty out there now, as a colleague of mine said recently. I regret that the time allotted for this debate has expired, Mr Deputy Speaker.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The time for discussion has now expired.

MR CORBELL: Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to make an explanation under standing order 46.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Proceed.

MR CORBELL: In the debate Mr Humphries said that I had suggested that the decision on ACTEW was all sewn up. Mr Deputy Speaker, recalling my comments accurately, without the interpretation that Mr Humphries put on them, what I said was along the lines that people in the expressions of interest process could think that it was all sewn up and that, regardless of whether that was the case, the process should not allow that perception to come about.

MR KAINE: Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a short personal explanation under standing order 46.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Proceed.

MR KAINE: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will be brief. The Chief Minister, in addressing the matter of public importance, referred to a statement that I had made about the merger of ACTEW. Indeed, she was fairly accurate in her reporting of that, but that did not entail and did not imply unquestioning support for whatever the Government does. Whatever the Government concludes out of its consideration of a merger, I would reserve the right to make a judgment about that on its merits at the time, having regard to all the facts. The Government should not assume, because I have indicated some measure of support, that I will support them come what may.

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