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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 01 Hansard (Tuesday, 10 February 2004) . . Page.. 108 ..

line out of one of them says that unquestionably what you are proposing to do, Chief Minister, contravenes the stated desires and wishes of the majority of the ACT’s population. Isn’t the Chief Minister forgetting the majority? I think he is.

I go on to a media release from the Fatherhood Foundation, which reads:

Over the last few years, it has become politically correct to advocate for the rights of men and women independently of our children. Our children have rights too. One could argue that their position of dependence and vulnerability makes them even more deserving of advocacy than adults.

We are not hearing much about the children in what Mr Stanhope is saying, apart from their having rights. They do not under what he is proposing. I cannot see how they can. Many of them will not be able to speak for themselves. Mr Stanhope wrote to a constituent, saying:

You should be assured that the Government is firmly of the view that the paramount consideration in every case is the welfare and interests of the child concerned.

How can it be? It cannot possibly be, and he cannot say in this place that the welfare of the child will be of paramount concern. He can say it, but I do not see how it is going to come into practice. He talks about its being discriminatory. As I have said before, it is sometimes right to discriminate. There are many times in life when we all discriminate on the grounds of common sense.

Mr Stanhope: When?

MRS BURKE: Do you tell your children just to cross the road and not look? The Chief Minister knows that; he is not that unintelligent. Well, I do not know about that; sometimes I am not sure. As much as I do not want any human being to be disadvantaged, there are times—and this what I have said—when it is right to discriminate. We must stand strong on the issue or else what lies ahead for our children? The Chief Minister does not know what he is taking us into. He has no idea what he is doing. He has not thought it through; it is ill-thought through and ill-conceived. Going down this path is going to be very detrimental for the children of our future. How can we speak for those children who cannot speak for themselves? How dare we think that we can stand in this place and speak for children.

Mr Quinlan: You are right now.

MRS BURKE: I am fighting for their rights. What are you doing?

Mr Pratt: She’s defending them against your lunatic legislation.

MRS BURKE: I am defending the rights of children. I am fighting for the rights of our children.

Mr Quinlan: No, you’re not.

MRS BURKE: Yes, I am, absolutely. I think on that I will rest my case.

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