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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 9 Hansard (21 August) . . Page.. 2670 ..

Mr Humphries: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: are you saying that that is also parliamentary?

MR SPEAKER: I did not hear you. Did you describe Mr Humphries as a downright liar?

Mr Humphries: He said that what I have just said is a downright lie and anyone who says it is a downright liar.

MR SPEAKER: Withdraw that.

MR QUINLAN: I think it is an interesting point, too. It is worth clarifying, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, but I think you should-

MR QUINLAN: I did say that anybody who stands in this place and says Labor delivered a $344 million deficit is a downright liar.

Mr Humphries: I just said that.

MR QUINLAN: Did you say that?

Mr Humphries: Yes, I did, so you should withdraw.

MR SPEAKER: Let's avoid the conflict over this. I do not want to see people calling each other liars, or even hinting across the chamber that people are liars, without moving a motion. If you want to go to a substantive motion about the issue, that is fair enough. You can challenge the veracity of anything Mr Humphries says, but I think-

MR QUINLAN: That is a daily occurrence.

MR SPEAKER: I cannot make a judgment on that from here. However, I would ask you withdraw any inference that Mr Humphries is a liar.

MR QUINLAN: I have great difficulty in doing that, but I will. There does need to be a search for words in relation to this particular matter, because it is not true that Labor ever delivered a $344 million deficit. That is untrue. That is not a fact. It is very difficult for anybody-

Mr Humphries: So how big was the loss under you?

MR QUINLAN: If you want to say things in this house that are not true, it is very difficult. Are you saying that we have a rule saying, "Tell me I did not tell a lie when I told a lie"?

Mr Humphries: What is your loss? What are you owning up to?

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