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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 7 Hansard (21 June) . . Page.. 2308 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Mr Speaker, it is a question of what is the best time and coming to a balance there. Mr Humphries has taken a different view from me and has gone back to my original view of 10 years. I was quite happy with the Labor view of six years. I will get to the prospective and retrospective argument.

Mr Berry: You know that that is a lie, Michael. You know it's a lie.

MR MOORE: I will get to that argument later. Mr Speaker, the other argument put was that the government has not responded to the-

Mr Humphries: Mr Berry has accused Mr Moore of lying.

Mr Berry: No, no. Please quote me correctly.

Mr Humphries: You said, "That's a lie."

Mr Berry: No, I did not say that, Mr Humphries. I said to Mr Moore that he knows that is a lie.

Mr Humphries: There is no distinction.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I have not told any lies at all. I am not interested in Mr Berry's injections. They are just constant-

MR SPEAKER: Just a moment. It is still a suggestion that you are not telling the truth, and I want a withdrawal. We know the situation-

Mr Berry: I withdraw.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR MOORE: I did not pick it up because so many injections come from Mr Berry that I have closed my ears to them. I am responding to the points he put in debate when he was heard in silence.

Mr Speaker, the other argument put by Mr Stanhope, I think, was that the government had not responded to report No 15 of the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety on the Executive Documents Release Bill. No, this is my bill and I responded to it by means of the amendments that have been circulated. The government has looked at those and has indicated its acceptance of my amendments with one exception, where they have gone for the 10-year rule.

Then there was this argument about there being no consultation on this. Mr Speaker, it started first of all when it was in my platform, and it was of some interest during the election. There was quite some interest when the legislation was tabled, and then there was the committee report. So that is it.

Mr Stanhope was talking about some profound issues here. There are some profound issues. They are about openness and accountability. The most fascinating part for me over the last few weeks, Mr Speaker, is that the Labor Party has been saying about the

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