Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (7 December) . . Page.. 3905 ..

MR RUGENDYKE (continuing):

Akubra hats and our Driza - Bones with pride, as we should. On 9 and 10 May I hope to be in Melbourne with my wife and maybe a couple of kids, enjoying the festivities down there.

MR HIRD (8.38): Mr Speaker, this matter is of great importance to this great nation on a number of accounts. I was shocked to see Ms Tucker waltzing around this chamber while this matter is being debated. In 1901 the very same arguments had taken place to progress us to a situation where we became a nation. Ms Tucker, who earlier this evening raised a matter on housing, would not have been able to do that had those arguments not taken place. I find it appalling that Ms Tucker turns her back on something that is so important.

I, like you, Mr Speaker, and Mr Kaine, have come the long road to self - government. We have been the brunt of criticism from parliaments around Australia. We, the citizens of this Australian Capital Territory, have always -

Members interjecting -

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! The house will come to order. Mr Hird has the floor.

MR HIRD: Thank you, Mr Speaker. We have borne the brunt because we have been kicked about boondoggling or whatever it was. You know what I'm talking about, Leader of the Opposition.

The fact is that they don't give tuppence for the ACT. The fact is that your federal leaders and my federal leaders don't give a tuppence for the ACT. They have turned their backs. They have turned their backs as you did, sir, on the $20 million. I will go into that another time. The fact is that this is an opportunity, Mr Speaker, for us to be part of federation and the celebrations. It is not only the 17 members in this chamber who should be part of the celebration; it is the 311,000 people here who are citizens of Australia. Their forebears had a part in the federation of this great country.

Mr Quinlan: Let's send them all.

MR HIRD: You may joke about it, Mr Quinlan. You may joke about it, but Mr Kaine will tell you that a lot of your former colleagues put a lot of hard work into getting us into this chamber, and it was not easy.

Mr Quinlan: So I am going to go on a junket for them.

MR HIRD: You may laugh and set aside -

Mr Moore: Sorry, Harold, I am going to take a point of order. Mr Speaker, it is not that often that Mr Hird delivers a speech with such passion. I realise that he is needling the opposition some of the time, but I think we need to have less interjection so that we can hear Mr Hird.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you. I uphold the point of order.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .