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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 12 Hansard (12 November) . . Page.. 3458 ..

MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Quinlan! Mr Humphries, do you have a point of order?

Mr Humphries: I hate to interrupt this Oscar-winning performance, Mr Speaker, but I have a point of order as to relevance. The matter of public importance is about the government's failures-it is not about the opposition.

MR SPEAKER: It is a bit hard to ask the government not to boast about their achievements. I am sure Mr Quinlan is aware of the relevance rule.

MR QUINLAN: Yes, I think it is important. There are the simple, unthinking minds over there which do not see. Even the casual observer with an IQ above 85 would say, "This is a comparative challenge. This is you versus us."So I do think it bears saying. What we are really talking about is the situation that we took over. I have listed in this place, before, some of the legacies we have had to do something about.

We have had to do something about a quarry, because they did not think about it. We had to do something about the operation of CTEC, its car race and the management of CTEC-done. We had to put money into the budget to actually build a remand centre-we have done that. In the space of a year, we are about to open the annex of the remand centre, to relieve a dangerous situation left to us by an unthinking, lazy, previous government. It goes on.

Did they provide for a medical school? No, but we have. New South Wales came and challenged this government on the sports bookmakers a couple of years ago. What did they do about that? Nothing. What are we doing about it? We are sorting it. There is a difference. I admit that I have been doing some thinking. Whether that is allowed or not, I confess that I have actually been thinking through the problems and then solving them.

Mr Speaker, I am pleased it is now a matter of record that the opposition is not interested in thinking before they take action. Let the record show that that is clearly evident from the results you gave the people of the ACT.

Mr Smyth: At least you have the good grace to smirk, Ted-but you are very good at misrepresenting things.

MR QUINLAN: Speaking of misrepresentation, it is funny you should mention that. I need advice, Mr Speaker. I know it is a breach of parliamentary behaviour to call somebody a liar in this place. However, if they publish lies outside this place, I am sure I am entitled to say they are liars. Would I be?

MR SPEAKER: You are not entitled to impute.

MR QUINLAN: I am not allowed to say that lies said outside this place are lies-okay.

Let me refer to the topic of the Leader of the Opposition's press release, and the scratching around to try to find promises that were broken. This is pathetic. On this piece of paper is a promise ascribed to Labor. It says, "Labor will be able to deliver a surplus every year of this government."

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