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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 9 Hansard (21 August) . . Page.. 3045 ..

Mr Speaker, I have not broken the law. Mr Berry, when you are prepared to accept an umpire's decision on this-

Mr Berry: I have.

MR HUMPHRIES: You have not. You obtained your own legal advice by giving the wrong information to your solicitor. That is hardly adequate.

Mr Speaker, I will lay down a challenge to Mr Berry. We will produce a list of the five largest law firms in the ACT. I invite Mr Berry to choose the name of one of those firms to which a brief to give legal advice will be issued. The government will pay for that legal advice. I will put taxpayers' money up if Mr Berry undertakes to accept the verdict that is given by that process. Are you game enough to do that, Mr Berry?

Mr Berry: I have got my advice.

MR HUMPHRIES: That is right-the advice you paid for.

Mr Berry: I never paid anything for it.

MR HUMPHRIES: Well you got exactly what you paid for. You paid nothing; you got nothing.

Mr Berry: Well, you didn't pay for yours either, pal.

MR HUMPHRIES: We certainly did. In both cases it was paid for. The government has paid for both of those legal advices. I challenge Mr Berry: if you want to say people have broken the law then put your money where your mouth is. If you believe it then we will test it with an independent firm of solicitors. If you are going to retreat to the cowards' castle and stay in here and make these claims, that is fine. But if you really believe what you are saying-and I doubt that you do-then put it to the test.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table a legal advising in relation to Williamsdale quarry.

Leave granted.

Mr Berry: I present the following paper:

Williamsdale Quarry-Proposed Joint Venture-Copy of legal opinion from Gary Robb and Associates, dated 12 July 2001.

Electorate offices

MRS BURKE: My question is to the Chief Minister. Mr Humphries, I draw your attention to the 1998 Review of the governance of the Australian Capital Territory which was authored by Professor Philip Pettit. One of the recommendations in that review was to explore the concept of electorate offices. Has this government considered this recommendation, and will it implement it?

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