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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 3 Hansard (9 March) . . Page.. 822 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

I would like to respond to some of the inane comments made by the member for Ginninderra, Mr Rugendyke. I think it has escaped your notice, Mr Rugendyke, that over the last two years the Labor Party, the Opposition, has operated through a system of shadow Ministers and shadow ministerial responsibility. My colleague the shadow Treasurer, Mr Quinlan, has had primary responsibility for the negotiations and for this attempt to flog off ACTEW. As you know very well, he has consulted with you.

I am rather bemused by the utter arrogance of your suggestion that all six of us need to traipse around to your office when we have an incredibly competent shadow Treasurer dealing with this issue. You, in your arrogance, expect all six of us to crawl around on our knees. That might be a position you are comfortable with, but it is not one that we adopt. Or is it that you need to hear everything six times before it actually sinks in?

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will address his remarks through the chair.

MR STANHOPE: I am, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: This is a very serious matter we are dealing with in the chamber.

MR STANHOPE: I am responding in a very serious way.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: I hope you are.

MR STANHOPE: Might I respectfully ask whether you were in the chair when Mr Rugendyke addressed issues directly at me, or is there a dual and separate system of - - -

Mr Humphries: No-one took a point of order.

MR STANHOPE: Nobody did now. The Temporary Deputy Speaker intervened on his own initiative.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will address his remarks through the chair.

MR STANHOPE: I will do that, Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker. I was concerned at the way in which Mr Rugendyke operates in this place in that he believes everyone should go and see him. He sits like some stone Buddha waiting for people to come and make some obsequious request or dispensation.

Mr Berry: I am prepared to kiss him on the bum if it will stop him selling ACTEW.

MR STANHOPE: You are much more generous than I am, Mr Berry.

Mr Berry: If it will save ACTEW, I am prepared to do almost anything.

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