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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (6 September) . . Page.. 2918 ..

Mr Berry: No, you are not. You are speaking to the question.

Mr Humphries: I am speaking to the point of order.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Attorney, I draw your attention to standing order 117 (f):

Mr Humphries: Sure, Mr Speaker, and I am happy to answer this question without anticipating discussion, but I will address the issue that has been raised.

MR SPEAKER: I am quoting standing orders.

Mr Corbell: On the point of order, Mr Speaker: I find it difficult to believe that the Attorney is going to be capable of not anticipating discussion when Mr Stanhope has already indicated in a public forum that this will be a matter of debate when the bill is debated later this sitting. I find it very difficult to believe that the Attorney is capable of not anticipating debate.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order. That is entirely up to the Attorney.

Mr Corbell: It is up to you actually, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: I have drawn the standing orders to his attention. I suggest that-

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, it is not entirely up to the Attorney. I take a point of order. It is entirely up to you to make a determination.

MR SPEAKER: And I am saying I have drawn attention-

Mr Berry: So you are giving your responsibility to the Attorney. Okay.

MR SPEAKER: Be careful, Mr Berry. Do it again and you will be warned. Mr Humphries' attention has been drawn to standing order 117 (f). I am quite sure he is capable of not infringing.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I am very happy to give information regarding business pending on the notice paper, namely, the DNA legislation which is on the notice paper for debate, I think tomorrow. Mr Speaker, I do not have with me the comments made this morning in the media but they suggested that the legislation will allow the police to take into a cell a girl guide who was selling raffle tickets illegally, hold her down, thrust a piece of material in her mouth, a swab, and take a sample from her mouth. Mr Stanhope said that that meant that there was going to be a capacity for people to be able to have all sorts of horrible things done to them in breach of their civil liberties.

Mr Speaker, first of all, I draw Mr Stanhope's attention to proposed section 27 of the legislation. He accused me of not having researched my legislation very well. Mr Stanhope has not done his research very well.

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