Page 473 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MS BERRY: Madam Assistant Speaker, as is usual in this place, when Mr Coe gets up to speak, he misquotes, misrepresents or deliberately misunderstands when people get up to speak on a motion. He misquoted me and said that I had referred to early childhood operators in this town as “horrible”. I did not. I have a very good, clear record of representing workers, in particular in the early childhood sector, since well before you were born, Mr Coe. It is unacceptable.
Mr Coe: Are you sure about that?
MS BERRY: The way that you behave, mate, is unacceptable. The way that he misrepresents and misquotes people in this place is completely unacceptable.
Mr Coe: Getting an insight into the next Labor leader.
MS BERRY: Madam Assistant Speaker, I sat and listened in silence to Mr Coe; even when he was misrepresenting me, I did not interrupt or have a go at him.
Opposition members interjecting—
Mr Hanson: A point of order.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ms Cody): Mr Hanson.
Mr Hanson: There are a couple of things. When Mr Coe was speaking, Ms Berry was having an ongoing conversation with Mrs Jones, and started the whole process—
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, what is your point of order?
Mr Hanson: Under standing order 42, Ms Berry needs to directly refer to the chair. Rather than just standing there and hurling abuse directly at Mr Coe, she needs to go through you.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, I heard my name called out many times. Ms Berry, have you finished?
MS BERRY: No, I have not; thank you, Madam Assistant Speaker. I was also misrepresented and was attempting to explain myself to one of the members opposite. I realise that I should not be having conversations across the chamber, but it was an attempt to explain myself regarding Mr Coe’s misrepresentation of what has occurred—which is a great outcome, I might say, for the contract cleaners in this town who have had wages stolen from them and who have been taken advantage of. Members of the Canberra Liberals have represented a particular employer of those people in this place, and the ACT government, ACT Labor, has provided those workers with employment with the ACT government because we could not be sure that they would be employed, and be treated respectfully and with dignity, unless they were employed by the ACT government.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video