Page 37 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 25 February 2014
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MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (11.46), in reply: I thank everybody for their contributions. Madam Speaker, let me start with a quote from Jon Stanhope. In 2001, as the opposition leader, in the lead-up to the election, Jon Stanhope said:
Governments must be scrutinised. They must be accountable. That is a role of oppositions, and it is a role that is particularly necessary as governments become lazy, arrogant, aloof and accident prone.
There is much I did not agree with Jon Stanhope on, but in this regard I do agree with him. At the outset, let me make the point that this opposition will continue to hold this government to account. We have a duty to do so on behalf of ACT taxpayers. We will do it effectively and we will do it relentlessly because, as Jon Stanhope pointed out, there is a time when governments do become arrogant.
Mr Corbell interjecting—
MADAM SPEAKER: Order, Mr Corbell!
MR HANSON: They become lazy, they become aloof and they become accident-prone. The minister Joy Burch has all of those characteristics. She epitomises what is wrong with this government. As I said at the outset of my speech, and as Mr Coe just made the point, this is not about ideology. This is about incompetence. This government should not tolerate incompetence.
We disagree with Mr Rattenbury on many things. I disagree with Mr Corbell, Mr Barr and Ms Gallagher on many things. That is not the issue. They are debates that we have in this place that are right and proper. This is an issue of competence and of letting down our community. Ms Gallagher, when she spoke, attempted to be dismissive of the actions that we are taking here today, that no-one had complained, that this is just a waste of time. People have complained. This has caused offence. There has been enormous damage that has been caused across various sections of the community, as has been outlined by members of the opposition.
But if you think there are no concerns, if you think that these are just issues raised by the opposition, let me again quote—I note there has been no reference to it by those opposite—from the chair of the multicultural forum in the ACT, who represents our multicultural community. She said:
It insulted quite a few people along the way, definitely the German community and of course our friends in the Jewish community, it is just simply unacceptable.
Those who made the decision that allowed that to happen should be made accountable and we should know who they are.
It has nothing to do with multiculturalism and, in fact, it was insulting and it insulted quite a few people, and I think it insulted people’s sensibilities, people’s sense of dignity, I think, at a level also.
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