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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (5 December) . . Page.. 3675 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Labor Party, are already exceeding the targets that we have set here and will need to make no changes whatsoever to their arrangements in order to meet the requirements of this legislation, what is the problem? How are we curtailing their capacity to make donations to the Labor Party? They could increase their donations to the Labor Party and still satisfy the requirements of this legislation; so what is the problem? Clearly, there is none, Mr Deputy Speaker. This bleating about attacking the Labor Party is complete and utter nonsense.

MR BERRY (5.50): I heard Mrs Carnell, a recent recruit to the cause of exposing conflict of interest, something in which she did not have much interest in the past, particularly when it related to her own activities in this place -

Ms Carnell: I didn't ever vote on anything to do with pharmacy the whole time I was here.

MR BERRY: You never voted on laws to allow methadone into pharmacies?

Ms Carnell: No, I stepped aside, and stepped aside in cabinet as well.

MR BERRY: No, I am talking about in here on the legislation. Do you remember the legislation?

Ms Carnell: Yes.

MR BERRY: Are you saying that you walked outside?

Ms Carnell: And my pharmacy did not get involved in a program on that basis.

MR BERRY: What about the $11 million you waived for Rio Tinto? Did you have nothing to do with that either?

Ms Carnell: Sorry, it wasn't Rio Tinto.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Address the chair, thank you.

MR BERRY: Eleven million dollars was waived for Rio Tinto. Who has got shares in Rio Tinto?

Ms Carnell: But it wasn't Rio Tinto. That is the wrong company, Wayne.

MR BERRY: No, no, that is the right company; go and check it. It is an extraordinary debate when you see as an issue of principle that business associations, political parties or trade unions are not considered to be part of the community. The trade union movement is the biggest community organisation in the country by a wide margin and the contribution it makes to the community is above that of any other organisation. To try to exclude it from part of the community is just to expose the political agenda and the ideology of the mob opposite.

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