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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 01 Hansard (Tuesday, 10 February 2004) . . Page.. 130 ..

Having to choose between the Jim Wallaces of this world and the Liz Keoghs of this world, whom I both respect and admire, is a really difficult thing for me to do. I do not want to have to choose between them, because they are both good people and they both represent groupings of people that live well in this community. They do not break the laws, they live a good life, they are good with their families, they have their own children, they are respectful and they have their own belief system.

Who am I to say one is inferior or superior to the other? That is not my role. As a legislator, I am meant to make a decision that I feel is best for this community, that I can live with and that I can look back on in years from now, crossing my fingers that when Ethan grows up he will say, “You know what, you made the right decision, Helen Cross. I was so happy with the parenting I got that you made the right decision back then.” If I do not make the right decision, whoever gets re-elected can repeal the decisions made in this place tonight.

My vote was irrelevant here because, as you know, the government had the numbers to get this bill through. I felt that it was important that whatever I had to say reflected my conscience and reflected my personal views on this subject. I do not want to disappoint people. The lobbying that been done of me and my office has been interesting. Some of it has been light and some of it has been heavy, to the point of receiving death threats and other threats—I understand that the same has happened to the Chief Minister—because people were not happy with the way I might vote.

At this point, I would like to mention that Mrs Burke, in her speech earlier, referred to how the vote would go down. Mrs Burke never came to consult me and ask me how I was going to vote. In her speech, she said that the vote was going to be 11 to six and the government had the numbers. You never asked me, Mrs Burke. Until I got into this place tonight, I was not even sure how I was going to vote. I had every intention of seeking to adjourn the debate on this bill because I felt that there had to be further consultation. The arrogance of Mrs Burke in making a decision on how members of this place were going to vote is typical of those members of that side of the chamber who do not bother to check with members on this side and who put all members of the cross bench in the same category.

Mr Speaker, I have moved the amendment circulated in my name. I hope that members will support it because I truly feel that someone has to moderate both these groups and sit them down and say, “Look, we have three adoptions in the ACT a year. There are strict guidelines in order for anybody to qualify to adopt a child. In order for those guidelines to be met, people have to jump through hoops and have to be considered worthy of parenting the child.” I believe that the system we have in place in the ACT at this stage is a good system. If legislators in this place find that that system is flawed and lets the community down, it is up to the community to decide whom they vote into this place so those laws can be changed or repealed.

I commend the amendment to the Assembly.

MR STANHOPE (Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Environment and Minister for Community Affairs) (9.56): The government will not support Mrs Cross’s proposal that the commencement date for this legislation, if it is agreed to this evening,

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