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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 3 Hansard (9 March) . . Page.. 851 ..

MR BERRY: That you gave a tick for 20 jobs to go.

MR SPEAKER: Are we having a debate here or are we having a chat?

MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety) (8.05): Mr Speaker, I do not want to speak for long because I think Mr Kaine very succinctly summarised why these two amendments moved by Mr Quinlan should not succeed. They amount to an adjournment of this debate. They amount to us saying, "Well, what we are going to do tonight is not indicate that the Assembly is prepared to approve the process of ACTEW and AGL going away and finalising an arrangement subject to the final overview of the shareholders". We are saying, "No, we are going to authorise the beginning of a process which will still end with a vote on the floor of the Assembly".

Mr Corbell: What is wrong with that?

MR HUMPHRIES: I will tell you what is wrong with that, Mr Speaker. The Labor Party will come back to that decision and it will still oppose the outcome. In fact the only reason it wants this de facto adjournment is because it wants to find the time to be able to go back and rally some sort of campaign to put pressure on members who are swinging voters on this issue. That is why you want to do it.

Mr Corbell: Are you scared? Are you scared of some public reaction? Are you scared of some community backlash?

MR HUMPHRIES: No. I will tell you what I am scared about. I am concerned about scare campaigns. I am concerned about campaigns that are based on misleading people about what the reality is on these matters. I am concerned about phrases like "Because Telstra is shedding lots of jobs, therefore ACTEW/AGL will shed lots of jobs". Could I be allowed to finish my remarks, Mr Speaker, without Mr Corbell's contribution?

MR SPEAKER: Yes, you certainly can. I do not want this constant interjection.

MR HUMPHRIES: Comments like "AGL is Canberra's equivalent to Patrick Stevedoring". For the second oldest Australian company - - -

Mr Corbell: Well, it will be. It will become a labour hire company.

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! I would remind you that you are still under warning. Stop interjecting.

Mr Corbell: He didn't refer to me, but I assume the Speaker is referring to me.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, those sorts of scares - - -

Mr Berry: Who said that? He is making the accusation.

MR HUMPHRIES: You did. You did.

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