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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 11 Hansard (19 October) . . Page.. 3283 ..

Mr Humphries: What you just said.

MR BERRY: Offensiveness has never been a guide to withdrawing things here.

Mr Humphries: Yes, it has.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, I suggest that you withdraw it because the position is that if you subsequently find that it is on the public record, and Mr Humphries indicates that it is not, you will have ample opportunity to bring it back. In the meantime, please withdraw it.

MR BERRY: I withdraw it, Mr Speaker, but I will say that Mr Humphries said that it was aimed at people in high places. He will recall that.

Mr Humphries: No.

MR BERRY: No? Okay, I withdraw that, too. Say it again, "I never said that". Say that again.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I have to clarify what is being said here for the sake of the record because Mr Berry is casting aspersions - - -

MR SPEAKER: I am getting very tired of this. We have a lot of work to do and you are continuing to provoke, Mr Berry. Just withdraw it. Let us get on with the Magistrates Court Amendment Bill and leave out the personal attacks.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I object to that. This is not a personal attack. This is about an important part of the making of legislation in the Territory. I withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you. Let us get on with it.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, it was an embarrassing moment for the Attorney-General, which has been highlighted by his bringing this Bill into the place to make it look as though he was doing something to repair the situation. I acknowledge and Labor acknowledges that his search has turned up a number of other pieces of legislation that might be affected were there to be some coronial inquiry, judicial inquiry, board of inquiry or royal commission and it was a long one. It would have been a good idea if the Attorney-General had used the same sort of logic when he was told that there were problems with the occupational health and safety legislation and the dangerous goods laws in the Territory, but he did nothing.

Mr Speaker, I am happy to have been a part of the debate to improve the legislative program in the ACT and to have goaded the Attorney-General into some action because it is clear that he has not been interested in doing so in the past in certain selective cases,

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