Page 2032 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 8 September 1992
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What else has the Government done? You charge 20 per cent interest if you fail to pay your electricity bill or your water bill as you cannot afford it because you do not have a job. What does the Government do? It bangs 20 per cent onto you, even though bank rates are well below that. What double standards! What else has it done? Mrs Carnell said that there is a 15.5 per cent increase in the accommodation charges. People on the other side of the house talk about living standards. What double standards!
MADAM TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Mr De Domenico, the time for the discussion has expired.
CANBERRA TIMES - POLICE INVESTIGATION
Statement by Member
MR HUMPHRIES (4.26): Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to make a statement to the Assembly on an urgent matter concerning the Assembly and the freedom of the press.
Leave not granted.
MR HUMPHRIES: I move:
That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent Mr Humphries from making a statement.
MR BERRY (Deputy Chief Minister) (4.27): I oppose, on behalf of the Government, this motion to suspend standing orders. It seeks to interfere with the Government's program. Whilst I have to say that I heard about this on the grapevine, Mr Humphries did not bother to take the matter up with me as the manager of government business. If there are to be suspensions of standing orders which affect the Government's program, I would trust - I have trusted in the past, but it seems to have been a waste of time - that there would be an attempt by the Liberals to negotiate some sort of discussion about the particular issue.
Mr Kaine: What have you got to hide, Minister? Why do you not want to debate it?
MR BERRY: Mr Kaine interjects, "What have you got to hide?".
Mr Kaine: You have heard about it on the grapevine. You must know what it is. What have you got to hide?
MR BERRY: I am saying to you that the Government will not sit back and let its program be held up by Mr Humphries's grandstanding. He could quite easily raise it as a member during private members business tomorrow. He seems to have a higher opinion of himself than that and seeks to intervene in the Government's position.
I understand that the numbers are against the Government on this issue. I think that members ought to reconsider their position because there is a need for the Government to pursue its agenda. In any other case where we would seek to do these sorts of things, we always try to inform the Opposition and let them know
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