Page 2698 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 June 2011
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many homes have been lost by problem gamblers? How many lives have been wrecked? How many lives have been wrecked in the course of them getting their hands on the hundreds of thousands of dollars from the proceeds of gambling that go directly not to volunteers, not to the Labor Party that they have working, but directly to funding their own shabby re-election campaign?
When Katy Gallagher gets up to preach at us or when John Hargreaves gets up to lambast us about something, just remind yourself, Madam Deputy Speaker, what funds the moral corruptness of the ACT Labor executive.
Mr Corbell: Point of order.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Resume your seat, Mr Hanson.
Mr Corbell: I think that is taking it a step too far, Madam Deputy Speaker—to suggest corruption is a substantive allegation. It is disorderly. It is an improper imputation on me and other Labor members in this place and I ask that Mr Hanson be asked to withdraw it.
Mr Seselja: Can we stop the clock?
Mr Hargreaves: On the point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker, you should have a list in front of you which has that phraseology on it.
MR HANSON: Madam Deputy Speaker, on the point of order, I have not suggested corruption in any impropriety with regard to financial details. What I am saying is that it is a moral corruption. That is a value judgement, and in my view, and I think in the view of many people in the community, taking money from pokies revenue, from gambling revenue, to fund election campaigns constitutes a moral corruption. I think that it is quite appropriate that I make that statement. It is a point of value and I think that it is an appropriate comment.
Indeed, I refer back to my inaugural speech, where I talked about the Labor Party and its inability to speak on issues of social conscience with any moral authority. It goes to this point. It is a theme that we have had in this place and it is a question that has been asked. And they have failed to answer. My view is that it is an appropriate comment to make. It is not about financial corruption; it is about moral corruption.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Nevertheless, Mr Hanson, I require you to withdraw the statement.
MR HANSON: I withdraw.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you very much, Mr Hanson.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (5.26): I did want to pick up on one issue which Ms Hunter touched on, which is that the Legislative Assembly does not have the power to set the number of ministers. It actually does, very clearly, and that is outlined in the Hawke review. It is outlined, I think, on page 31. And if you go to the self-government act, what it actually says is that it is set at five unless
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