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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (5 December) . . Page.. 3700 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

The Liberal Party at the time pointed out that the Labor Party had received a very generous donation from the X - rated video industry. When I put to Mr Berry the very argument that he has put to me tonight - "Obviously the two are connected. It speaks for itself." - he said, "No, no, no," or his party said "No, no, no."

Mr Berry: No, so it was not me after all.

MR HUMPHRIES: No, no. It was not you. It was your party. Your party said -

Mr Berry: We are being Gary - ed again.

MR HUMPHRIES: The Labor Party said, "Our view about X - rated videos predated the donation that was made to us."

Mr Berry: And you are going to tell us that yours predated that payment, are you?

MR HUMPHRIES: And indeed, Mr Speaker, it did. Mr Berry says, "We should be believed when we say that we were not influenced by our donation from the X - rated video industry, but the Liberal Party should not be believed when it says the same thing with respect to the casino."

Sounds a bit implausible, doesn't it, Mr Speaker? "We are credible but they are not." Well, if he says that the thing speaks for itself. I will let him admit that and make his own comments about X - rated videos. On that issue, by the way, although the Liberal Party has more recently come round to the view that X - rated videos should be sold from the ACT, it has never accepted a donation from the X - rated video industry, to its credit.

Mr Quinlan: Have you been offered one?

MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, actually. Several times we have been offered a donation, and we have declined it, because, you see, we have principles.

Mr Berry says there is obviously something very suspicious here because the ALP gets nothing from the casino. I would be very grateful if Mr Berry or someone from the Labor Party could dispel a rumour that is going around this building at the moment, which is that the opinion polling which is being conducted at the moment on behalf of the Labor Party in Canberra is being financed by the Canberra Casino. That rumour is going around. I would be very happy if Mr Berry or Mr Quinlan would dispel that rumour -

Mr Hargreaves: Can I do that? I can, but I am not going to.

MR SPEAKER: I am sorry, the chair cannot rule on anything like that, Mr Hargreaves.

Mr Hargreaves: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: isn't that speculation, and therefore out of order?

MR SPEAKER: It is, but it is not in question time.

Mr Hargreaves: It is also irrelevant.

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