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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 10 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 2822 ..

MR QUINLAN (continuing):

The government of the time said, "No, no! We don't want that! We can't hear you. We don't want to know. We are now capitulating to two crossbench members, so don't make life complicated for us. No, we don't accept. We don't want you to vote for the budget. We don't want you to do that!" That was the case. The fact of the matter is that you were knocked over by a couple of crossbenchers whom you wanted to appease. I think Mr Stefaniak was talking to one of the crossbenchers about other measures of appeasement in relation to West Belconnen.

There is more to the history of that year than the government not getting its budget. The opposition happily voted against you. When it became clear that we might get crossbenchers who would not vote for the budget, as you have seen, this party has said, "No. We will accept that the government should get its budget. We do not have room for our protest vote. We would like to make our protest vote. We would like to say we do not support all the measures in that budget by voting against it. However, we cannot do that now, because we have created a situation where crossbenchers can hold governments to ransom." The world has changed!

Mr Humphries: What about the next year?

MR QUINLAN: Yes. We also recommended a couple of changes, happy in the knowledge that they would never get up-so you would get your budget.

I appreciate the fact that we will get our appropriation bill. I believe there is majority support for the Revenue Legislation Amendment Bill, which is part of the budget anyway. I appreciate that. It is part of the package.

I thank members for their support. As we have all said a few things, I hope this afternoon is not too turgid, Mr Speaker.

Question put:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

The Assembly voted-

	Ayes, 9  			Noes, 6

 Mr Berry	Ms MacDonald  	Mr Cornwell	Mr Smyth
 Mr Corbell	Mr Quinlan  	Mrs Cross  
 Ms Dundas	Mr Stanhope  	Mrs Dunne   
 Ms Gallagher	Ms Tucker   	Mr Humphries  
 Mr Hargreaves			Mr Pratt  

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Bill agreed to.

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