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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 13 Hansard (7 December) . . Page.. 3803 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

However, once again, if there is anything that the Government would like to add to that issue in its response to the scrutiny of Bills committee, the Labor Party will look at it on its merits and in depth, recognising the significance of this issue to all of us.

MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to make a short statement in connection with this report.

Leave granted.

Mr Osborne: Don't come to us on process ever again, Jon. Don't waste our time on process.

Mr Stanhope: Rubbish, Paul. Rubbish.

Mr Osborne: True. Don't come round here and speak to us about the Government not following due process again.

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Kaine has the floor.

MR KAINE: Thank you, Mr Speaker. It seems that people are anxious and ready to debate the Bill this morning, but I do not think this is the time for it. I am amazed at how far the debate has gone already. I do not intend to debate the Bill. The time will come for that.

However, I must say, Mr Speaker, that I am exceedingly concerned, and the general public ought to be also. Setting aside the international treaty bit, which everybody seems to be able to say you can shrug off without any concern at all, there are five significant issues that the scrutiny of Bills committee has raised in connection with this proposed legislation in the report which has been tabled. The Leader of the Opposition just spent a considerable amount of his time agreeing that they were significant. What else did he say? He said he is full of fond hope that these issues can be dealt with. Well, Mr Speaker, we are being asked, according to this week's program, to debate this Bill the day after tomorrow. If these issues can be addressed, why are not solutions on the table now so that we can consider them?

Mr Moore: They are.

MR KAINE: They are not, Mr Moore.

Mr Moore: They are. Look in your folder.

MR KAINE: You have had your say. You can have another say on Thursday. The solutions to these problems raised by this report are not on the table. Mr Stanhope says there is some question about the kinds of issues that the DPP can issue directions about. He said, "They can be resolved". I would like to know how. How are they going to be resolved? It is no good telling me that they can be resolved after we have got the

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