Page 634 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 22 February 2012
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MS BURCH: Mrs Dunne has not retracted this statement. In fact, she has stood by it. She believes that care and protection workers behave unconscionably. There has been no apology to these hardworking workers.
Another example, again from Mrs Dunne, was on 16 November and in regard to legal advice from the Government Solicitor’s Office when she said, “What we have here is a Government Solicitor being asked to pull the government out of a hole by some creative interpretation of law.” No apology. No retraction.
Opposition members interjecting—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Order, members of the opposition! If you keep on interrupting I will warn you.
MS BURCH: They use disparaging, negative words to describe people who have no right of reply and no ability to come into this place.
Then we have Mr Hanson, who interjects and says that care and protection workers break the law. This is an appalling double standard, but it is the standard set by the Canberra Liberals in this place. As a contrast between the two leaders—
Mrs Dunne interjecting—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mrs Dunne, you are now warned.
MS BURCH: Here we have a Chief Minister who, when one of her MLAs says the wrong things, makes sure that that MLA is accountable and puts things right. She put things right in writing. What does the Leader of the Opposition do to pull his team into line? Nothing. Makes excuses and condones their behaviour. Mrs Dunne says care and protection workers—the hardest workers in our community—behave unconscionably. Mr Hanson says these workers break the law—a complete, absolute untruth. So it comes as no surprise that the opposition has brought this motion, because they want to get away from their own behaviour using smoke and mirrors, and that is quite extraordinary.
In the time left, I seek leave to move my amendments together.
Leave granted.
MS BURCH: I move:
(1) Omit paragraph (1), substitute:
“(1) notes that both the Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher, and John Hargreaves MLA have spoken personally to the President of the Tuggeranong Community Council and have subsequently written to the Council confirming their support for its valuable contribution to our community;”.
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