Page 1019 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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We know that there are criticisms that have been levelled at the specific legislation by Labor. I believe that the criticisms that have been levelled are erroneous; they are misleading; they are disingenuous. I want to make sure that the Labor Party articulates what they are, because at the moment there is confusion that has been basically propagated through the media by the Labor Party about the bill and they need to clarify on the record what their objections are. Are they substantive or are they spurious? What is it that they have got a problem with?
There is no excuse, in my view, for the delay of this legislation. I would welcome the debate to find out from the Greens and from the Labor Party why it is that they feel it is so necessary to delay this. And I think that is an important debate to have. We cannot simply adjourn today this bill, which deals with road safety, which deals with people’s lives, without an adequate explanation in this chamber as to why it is being delayed.
MS BRESNAN (Brindabella) (3:58): Mr Hanson knows full well why we are adjourning this today.
Mr Hanson: Why?
MS BRESNAN: Because we have had a number of conversations. We did actually speak to the Liberal Party yesterday and put the offer to them.
Mr Hanson: I am confused.
MS BRESNAN: Madam Assistant Speaker, can I please speak? And I did put the offer to them. I said yes, we would agree to agree to their bill in principle but then we would adjourn debate. We did give them an undertaking that we would be happy to come back and debate that in May. Mr Hanson actually refused that. I did ask him to go away and please put it to his party. He did say he had gone to do that and then came back and again said that he refused the offer. So we did actually put that offer there.
Yes, there have been these processes which have gone before in the Assembly. We know it has been there before and yes, it has been on the table. We acknowledge all of that but we do think—
Mr Hanson: Let us agree in principle?
MS BRESNAN: We put that offer to you, Jeremy, and you refused.
Mr Hanson: Do it. You can do it now.
MS BRESNAN: You refused that. It is too late, Jeremy. We put that on the table.
Mr Seselja: That is how you make policy.
MS BRESNAN: We do not actually go back on our word, unlike you.
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