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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 12 Hansard (18 November) . . Page.. 4185 ..

Mrs Dunne: Yes, in your time.

MR HARGREAVES: So Kate did it, and what did we do then, Mrs Dunne? Did we say, "No, let's whack a no confidence motion on her."

Mrs Dunne: You continued to move censures. You harassed her out of the parliament.

MR HARGREAVES: No. Get real.

Mr Quinlan: Come on, she broke the law.

MR HARGREAVES: That is what this is all about. You are trying to harass this minister. You are trying to create a witch hunt. You are trying to single this guy out and put some pressure on him. I have some sad news for you: this minister can resist any amount of pressure you people can place on him collectively.

This is an absolutely pathetic piece of abuse of the parliamentary process. What a pathetic little excuse to run a no confidence motion! Has this minister broken any laws? No. Has he misappropriated any funds? No. Has he blown a hospital up? No. Has he painted grass green? No.

Mrs Dunne: Has he committed a contempt? Yes.

MR HARGREAVES: What has he done? He has realised that something was wrong, come into this place and apologised.

Opposition members interjecting-

MR SPEAKER: Order, members of the opposition!

MR HARGREAVES: I have to say that, as a member of that Estimates Committee, I found there was no contempt. I did not feel as though there was a contempt.

Opposition members interjecting-

MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Hargreaves, please direct your comments through the chair. Members of the opposition will remain silent.

MR HARGREAVES: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I did not feel that I was being held in any contempt. I do believe that the minister was trying to avoid answering a question. Heck, that was the first time I had experienced that one. That was the first time in all of my five years I had experienced that. It was part of the normal process and no different to what any other minister has ever done in any other estimates process. It is a case of get real and grow up. This minister has done the appropriate and the honourable thing. You people will do the appropriate and honourable thing, and withdraw that motion.

MS DUNDAS (12.06): This has become quite a colourful and heated debate. I would like to put on the record that I do not think the actions of any minister have anything to do with his or her age or gender. I am disappointed that the debate has reached that level.

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