Page 3168 - Week 15 - Thursday, 14 December 1989

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .


swimming complex. They have refused to support that. Do not worry, the people of Tuggeranong will be informed about their position. They will not support this particular proposal, and the people in Tuggeranong will learn about it.

Then the rumours start flying. You know, Mr Deputy Speaker, one of the really interesting rumours which is doing the rounds is that on the very first day of briefing of the new Minister for Finance and Urban Services, Mr Duby canvassed the fact that he had never had an overseas trip. He has discussed the possibility - - -

Ms Maher: That is lies.

Mr Duby: That is simply not true.

Mr Humphries: You are getting desperate.

MR WHALAN: That is the information that I have. Then, when we look at the performance of Mr Humphries, we see that the very first thing Mr Humphries does as Minister for Health is to indicate his intention to slash expenditure on health and on the hospital system. We see his commitment to slashing expenditure on the hospital system, with the clear result, the inevitable result, being the closure of Royal Canberra Hospital. There can be no possible alternative to that. Then we have an Attorney-General who is viewed with derision by the legal fraternity of Canberra. When you talk to them, you find he is viewed with derision by the legal community of Canberra.

Mr Humphries: I take a point of order. This is a motion dealing with the special adjournment of the Assembly. It has nothing to do with any of the things that Mr Whalan has so far discussed. I ask you to bring him to order and to discuss matters of relevance only to the adjournment.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Humphries. Continue, Mr Whalan. I think you were starting to stray from the adjournment motion.

MR WHALAN: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I would draw to your attention - as I mentioned to the Speaker - the latitude which was given to Mr Collaery when he moved the motion. He was given absolute latitude to canvass any issue that related to the Government and next year. I submit that I should be entitled to the same latitude and I would ask you to rule on that point.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: We are discussing the adjournment debate, Mr Whalan. I think you could try to confine your remarks to that as closely as possible.

MR WHALAN: Well, it is obvious that there is a rule for the goose over there and then there is another rule for the opposition.


Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .