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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 2 Hansard (1 March) . . Page.. 413 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

issue of consultation has been addressed. It is interesting that she should say that because on a number of occasions in the past she has raised, first of all, the criticism that when the Government has done something the consultation has had to be conducted by other members of the chamber or other people to find out about the reaction of the public to the - - -

Ms Tucker: Yes, I said that I had done consulting, too, that I had consulted as well. I said that.

MR HUMPHRIES: Fine. But you said at the beginning of your remarks that the fact that the Government had had consultation through those two letters of Peter Quinton's addressed the problem of consultation, that we had had consultation, so why were we complaining about Mr Berry's Bill. The fact is that Ms Tucker has complained in the past when someone other than the person bringing forward the proposal has had to do the consultation necessary on that proposal. You have complained about it, Ms Tucker.

Ms Tucker: But he says he consulted, too.

MR HUMPHRIES: He has not done any consulting. Come on, he said that he had received 10 letters and all of them as a result of - - -

Ms Tucker: I have talked to people who have talked to him, so he has consulted.

MR HUMPHRIES: I know, but the fact is that these people have come to Mr Berry only because somebody else - he says Mr Peters from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry - has gone out there and said, "This is what the Legislative Assembly is about to do", and, as a result, these people have had to go and seek out Mr Berry. Is that the sort of consultation you support, Ms Tucker? If people are reminded, forced or cajoled to go and talk to you about a proposal of yours that you are about to impose on them, is that the right sort of consultation, rather than your going to them and saying, "I am proposing to do this to you. I am proposing to regulate you. How do you feel about that"? If you are on the record, Ms Tucker, as saying that that is okay, that consultation generated by having made the decision to do it rather than asking about the decision in the first place is okay, I am glad because that is not what you have said in the past.

The second point is about whether the amount involved is $200 or $100. Mr Speaker, I refer members to recommendation 6 of the report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety. It says:

Mr Berry: That is $100 a year.

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