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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 3 Hansard (9 March) . . Page.. 844 ..

MR QUINLAN: You probably also were wheeling and dealing on getting your ministry, and this is part of the deal - you got the ministry; got to back the program. But this happened before the first sitting of this place. So we had a very rapid change, did we not, in the attitude? That actually shows the hypocrisy of what was said before the election and you have become part of it. Watching you ascend to the ministry, I had come to the point where I could accept that you had no principles left. I could accept that you have a manic desire for publicity and to be seen as some sort of reformer, but up to today I had not thought of you as being stupid. I can add that to the list because you shopped her. As far as Mr Smyth's contribution to this debate is concerned, I have to reveal - - -

Mr Moore: So Mr Rugendyke is stupid, Mr Osborne is stupid, and I am stupid. Has it occurred to you - - -

Mr Humphries: We are all stupid except for Ted.

Mr Moore: We are all stupid except for Ted.

MR QUINLAN: No, no, all by yourself. You are a class of your own. As far as Mr Smyth's contribution to the debate is concerned, I have to announce that my office runs a game called "Brendan bingo" because he really only gives one speech. So when you get, "The ALP sticks their head in the sand", that is very predictable and you get about half a point. If they have "ideological blinkers", they get about half a point. "Stand for nothing" and "those over there", a quarter of a point. Mate, let me tell you, these games are very, very short.

Mr Moore: He is getting to you.

MR QUINLAN: He is annoying me, I can tell you that. He is not actually getting to me. Just watching the same stuff is appalling. I am rather concerned that we are asked not just to permit you to negotiate. That is what you want. You tell us we would criticise you if you went ahead and spent the money, and you criticise us for accusing you of spending too much money. Well, here is the middle ground for you, Mr Humphries. By this minor adjustment to your motion you have the permission to negotiate, but you have also got the opportunity to return to this house and to tell the people's house what you are doing. This house has not just the right but also the responsibility - every responsible MLA in this place carries that responsibility - to ensure that the Government is doing the right thing, at least within the approval that they look like getting. (Extension of time granted)

This Government does not do business well. If I was in the business of doing business with government this would be the Government with which I would do business because you are hopeless.

Mr Humphries: Well, that is not what the Auditor-General says so far. Harcourt Hill, the International Hotel School - - -

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