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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 8 Hansard (31 August) . . Page.. 2728 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Mr Speaker, I have nothing to apologise for in respect of this government's performance. I think it has been appropriate. I look forward to someone adding some flesh to the accusations that they make about the government's supposedly intimidating organisations that dare to criticise the government's performance.

MR BERRY (12.04): I will start off with ACTCOSS.

Mr Quinlan: That is the one.

MR BERRY: Yes, that is the one. ACTCOSS was highly critical of the government's performance on social issues. It made a point of it. The then executive director of ACTCOSS fell on his sword because this government told ACTCOSS that if it did not get rid of him its funding was in doubt. That is what happened.

Mr Kaine: Absolutely.

Mr Stanhope: That is what everybody knows.

MR BERRY: Everybody knows it. What about the Civic Youth Centre, which was also treated with the same sort of vitriol? One of its long-serving critics of the government departed the scene. What about that one? Are you denying that you had anything to do with that?

Mr Humphries: Absolutely.

MR BERRY: Of course you would deny it. What about the Woden Youth Centre? One of its senior officers departed the scene because of threats by this government to its funding.

Mr Humphries: Rubbish.

MR BERRY: Of course you will deny it.

Mr Humphries: Where is the statement from these people to say that?

MR BERRY: And we will cap it off with the Women's Legal Service. They lost out on funding too because they disagreed with the government.

Mr Humphries: But they have moved off. Why will they not give a statement now?

MR SPEAKER: Order, please. Mr Berry has the floor.

MR BERRY: So do not give me any of that; we know and the community knows that you challenge these organisations with threats against their funding if they do not toe the line. So the points that have been made in respect of that are quite fair ones, and there is concern out there in community organisations about the thuggish way this government behaves.

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