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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 1 Hansard (14 February) . . Page.. 163 ..
MR QUINLAN: For you when you come in here-apparently it is your want-everything has to be a debating contest. You cannot let the other side win anything, and that seems to be the primary motivation. I wrote this amendment so that this bill, if it got up, would not be as silly as it is. It is silly. If you focus just on liabilities you are not focusing on the whole picture, and you have got your net picture. That is the only reason why I changed that, Mr Humphries.
Mr Humphries: I am not saying that you should only focus on liabilities, Ted. No-one is saying you should focus only on liabilities.
MR QUINLAN: This does. As amended by you it still will. If you want to achieve the aim of the Osborne bill you must change that to net assets, or even change it to net financial position or something, but not liabilities, because that is only one side of the balance sheet, and you argue against focusing on one side of the balance sheet. For God's sake!
As I explained earlier, the only reason I put general government sector in there was to say, "Look, if you are going to inhibit the amount of liabilities, our government business enterprises, our TOCs, cannot go out and deficit finance growth because they, by law of the territory, have to reduce total liabilities." It's the law of the territory. You must reduce total liabilities. That's crazy. As written here it is crazy, and unless we breach this law on a regular basis it would inhibit the operation of our own business enterprises. Now, I don't know; I give up after that. I have seen some rubbish in this place and I have heard some rubbish, but, today, it's a particular day.
Question put:
That Mr Quinlan's amendment No 1 be agreed to.
The Assembly voted-
Ayes 7 Noes 8 Mr Berry Mr Stanhope Mrs Burke Mr Rugendyke Mr Corbell Ms Tucker Mr Hird Mr Smyth Mr Hargreaves Mr Humphries Mr Stefaniak Mr Kaine Mr Moore Mr Quinlan Mr OsborneQuestion so resolved in the negative.
Amendment negatived.
MR HUMPHRIES (Chief Minister, Minister for Community Affairs and Treasurer) (5.30): Mr Temporary Deputy Speaker, I ask for leave to move amendments Nos 1 and 2 circulated in my name together.
Leave granted.
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