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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 1 Hansard (16 February) . . Page.. 155 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

I also want to draw attention to what the Chief Minister has said about the willingness of members on this side of the chamber to criticise Federal colleagues where that is appropriate and called for. Lest we should be too taken in by the chest-beating that has occurred on the other side of the chamber, we should remember that the ACT Opposition, the ACT Labor Party, has always been very quick, very willing and very free with its criticism of Liberal governments, particularly Federal Liberal governments, when they have taken decisions which have hurt, as this decision has hurt, the city of Canberra, but we have yet to see any examples of the Labor Party taking the same approach when decisions of a similar nature have been taken by a Labor government.

Mr Stanhope: Garbage.

MR HUMPHRIES: I invite Mr Stanhope to table a copy of a press release, media statement or report in a newspaper or journal or an extract from a television or radio report that demonstrates what I have said is wrong. Mr Stanhope, you know that you will not find such an extract, because one does not exist. (Extension of time granted)

No doubt we will see that principle demonstrated in the debate on the very next motion that we will be facing today in the Assembly - a motion that someone said condemns the Premier of New South Wales. I think it is fairer to say that it passes some mild criticism of him, by implication, by criticising his Government's decision. We will see what this Labor Opposition has to say about a motion like that. We have set the tone today. We are prepared at least to contemplate a motion that is critical of the Liberal Prime Minister of Australia. Let us have the Labor Opposition demonstrate its bona fides by getting up and demonstrating that it is prepared to criticise the Labor Premier of New South Wales.

Mr Stanhope: What is humble pie, Attorney? You are making a goose of yourself, mate. Wait until the next motion.

MR SPEAKER: You cannot have a goose in a humble pie.

MR HUMPHRIES: Okay, I am making a goose of myself. That is fine. I am happy to be put in the oven and roasted nicely as a goose, if you will table for me the media statement - - -

Mr Stanhope: Just stand up after Ms Tucker's motion and beat your breast in apology.

MR HUMPHRIES: That is fine. You have said that you and your people are prepared to condemn a Federal Labor government and have done so. I invite you to table the press release that you have put out on that subject in the past.

Mr Stanhope: I will just repeat back to you - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order! You will repeat nothing. Mr Humphries has the floor.

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