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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (7 September) . . Page.. 2978 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

These people come in here, week in, week out, and vote on issues where, as any person in a club or pub, to quote Mr Berry again, would say there is a gross and obvious conflict of interest. For them to be lecturing us on the question of ethics, of probity, is an absolute and utter joke.

Mr Berry: If you go ahead with this, Gary, you are going to look like a crook and make the rest of us look like crooks as well.

Mr Quinlan: We know how sludged you are.

MR SPEAKER: Members, you were heard in silence after Ms Tucker took a point of order. I want the same courtesy extended to Mr Humphries. Otherwise some members may not be here for the rest of the session, or for at least three hours of it anyway.

MR HUMPHRIES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. What we have here is the grossest form of hypocrisy that could be brought to this debate that you could possibly imagine. These people opposite have a massive income from poker machines each year, millions of dollars over the life of each parliament. They are raking in this money, stuffing it into their pockets, and then-

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I have every respect for Mr Humphries' ability to make up a few metaphors, but to suggest that the Labor Party members in here are sticking money in their pockets is a wee bit over the top.

Mr Quinlan: Yes. Withdraw.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I withdraw that.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR HUMPHRIES: I withdraw that and say instead that you are putting the money in your collective pocket as a party and then coming in here and lecturing us about the probity of having declarations of members' interests. For you people to come in here day in and day out and vote with that conflict of interest is absolutely-

Mr Quinlan: We declare it.

MR HUMPHRIES: Oh, you declare it. That's fine. You declare it. That does not stop you from coming here and casting a vote when clearly your vested interest is deeply affected. What sort of hypocrisy is that?

Mr Quinlan: Who is the 250 Club?

Mr Stanhope: Give us a list of the members.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, again I ask for-

MR SPEAKER: Order! I am warning-

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