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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (6 December) . . Page.. 3761 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

taken from us or being threatened to be taken from us, we say something about it. Whether it is a federal Liberal government or a federal Labor opposition that is making those sorts of remarks or launching those sorts of attacks, we speak out.

Mr Speaker, why does Labor not have the courage to make the same kind of commitment on behalf of Canberra? Why are they not prepared to say, "Sorry, Mr Beazley and Mr Snowdon, your attack on Canberra is something that we cannot support and we will do something about it"?

Labor has been quick to tell us on previous occasions these issues have arisen that they really do stand up for Canberra in such situations, but they prefer to do it behind closed doors. For example, when the federal Labor government of Mr Hawke was closing schools in Canberra, those opposite said that they were very concerned about that. This was when the subsequent territory government was closing schools and we were saying to them, "Why didn't you complain about the schools that your mob closed when you were being governed federally by Labor?"

Their response was: "We are doing this behind closed doors. We are taking this up in private with our federal colleagues." It is wonderful to think that they are taking it up behind closed doors with their federal colleagues, but you would have to say as well, Mr Speaker, that that is just not good enough. This parliament is a forum for the issues that matter to the ACT community. This is the place where we should be airing the concerns of the citizens of this city, where we should be making our pitch for the defence of the city's entitlements and its rights. If the rights of the people of the ACT have been attacked in a public arena, as on this occasion, here is the place to make our stand on their behalf.

What is Labor so afraid about that it does not have the guts to tell Mr Beazley and Mr Snowdon, "You have made a mistake. Canberra is entitled to that money. Canberra does have a need to upgrade its roads, like any other community in Australia. Canberra does recognise that there is some benefit in this package"?

Mr Berry: This is just time wasting.

MR HUMPHRIES: Standing up for Canberra is time wasting? Mr Speaker, we have a situation here where there is a motion to get stuck into the federal Liberal government because of -

Mr Berry: You will not be getting an extension, either, Gary.

MR HUMPHRIES: If you will not give me an extension, I will seek the suspension of standing orders, Mr Berry.

Mr Berry: Go for your life, son; that's fine.

MR HUMPHRIES: It is fine by me. I have no problems at all. In fact, there has been a challenge and I will make sure that I seek one.

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