Page 1428 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 24 March 2010
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(a) core services provided by the Government are protected; and
(b) vulnerable Canberrans do not pay the price of the Government’s fiscal ill-discipline over the last eight years.
They are the substantive things that Mr Smyth is calling for. But he has also put a lot there in paragraph (1) which actually provides the context for that. So for people to be dismissive of that and say “we just do not want to debate that sort of stuff because it might be perceived as slightly negative” is not valid. If you do not understand the context of what you are debating, it is not relevant. We saw that Ms Hunter lasted about three minutes at her chair before retiring to the gallery. It is a good motion—
Ms Gallagher: God, you are a nasty piece of work.
MR HANSON: You are not bullying me, are you, Ms Gallagher?
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Could you sit down please, Mr Hanson. Can you stop the clock, Clerk? Members, it has got to the stage where it is becoming extremely difficult to conduct a debate in this place. The level of sniping is becoming quite difficult, and the regular interjections, along the lines of one person or another is a nasty piece of work, are unparliamentary and I do not want to hear them continue. If they continue, I will warn and name people. That goes for everybody.
MR HANSON: Thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. It is indeed a very good motion and I commend the speeches that have been made, particularly by the members of the Liberal Party in support of Mr Smyth’s motion. One of the criticisms levelled in some of that debate today by the crossbench has been that it does not set forth a positive policy agenda, and that is the debate that Ms Hunter is waiting for. If that is a criticism, I think we would be glad to grant leave if she would like to come back to her place in this chamber and lay out what she is demanding of the Liberal Party, which is a 15-minute or 10-minute speech on a positive policy agenda that she wants to see in this place. If that is what she wants to see in this place, it is very easy to do: get off the gallery seat, come back to your seat and do that. Do not snipe at other people because you have not done it yourself. We quite clearly in this town are not being served well by—
Mr Rattenbury: By the Liberal Party.
MR HANSON: the Labor government. I can have a go at you as well, Mr Rattenbury, if you want to join the debate. It is nice that you have come down. I look forward to your contribution.
Mr Rattenbury: I am sure you are appalled I am not in the Speaker’s chair, Mr Hanson, but you will get over it, I imagine.
MR HANSON: I will, I am sure. I look forward to your contribution to this debate on this issue if you are going to.
Mr Rattenbury: I wouldn’t bother.
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