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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (25 May) . . Page.. 1839 ..

Mr Corbell: Oh, you do threaten people.

MR HUMPHRIES: No, no, let me finish. Mr Speaker, I can give members of this place a tangible example of where it has happened, in fact. Some years ago there was a bill before this house to provide for the medicinal use of cannabis. It was a bill introduced by Mr Moore and supported by the then Liberal opposition to allow the medicinal use of cannabis in certain limited circumstances, a proposal which, as an aside, I understand the Labour government in Britain is now supporting, and others as well. At the time we put out a campaign supporting this particular bill. (Further extension of time granted.) I thank members.

At that stage one of the most vocal supporters of that bill, privately and in the negotiations relating to the preparation of such things, was the AIDS Action Council of the ACT. They were very strongly supportive of the bill. When the bill was tabled and argument blew up there was a strong attack on the then opposition and Mr Moore from the then government.

Mr Wood: We all remember that very well.

MR HUMPHRIES: Indeed. I am sure you do remember that very well. When that blew up we turned to the AIDS Action Council and asked it to indicate publicly the support it had for that bill which it had indicated privately.

Mr Moore: And very strongly.

MR HUMPHRIES: And very strongly indicated. We were told in no uncertain terms by a senior person at the council that they had received a telephone call from a minder in a minister's office-I will not name the minister or the minder publicly-

Mr Wood: That then minister might contest your version, mind you.

MR HUMPHRIES: You are very welcome to, Mr Wood. The person from the AIDS Action Council said they were told by this minder that if they came out and publicly backed the opposition's and Mr Moore's position on that bill their funding would be cut. Those claims were made quite expressly, Mr Speaker, in that way. We wanted to go public on the matter and the council asked us not to do that because, frankly, they were afraid, and we did not do so. So yes, Mr Speaker, such things do take place.

Mr Wood: That version would be contested by the person who is no longer in this Assembly.

Mr Moore: That may be the case, but I would put it on oath. That is what I was told.

MR HUMPHRIES: I am sorry, we have other people who say otherwise, and I suggest, Mr Wood, that you do your own research on the subject.

Mr Speaker, in that particular case there is a threat made against somebody for political purposes, if you like. Are those circumstances I have just described to members here a contempt of parliament? No, they are not, really. They are pretty unfair, pretty bad, but

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