Page 3005 - Week 10 - Thursday, 15 September 1994
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Ms Follett: Madam Speaker, may I comment on the point of order?
MADAM SPEAKER: Yes.
Ms Follett: Housing is administered through the Commonwealth-State Housing Agreement to which this Territory is a party. Mr Downer, in typically short-sighted fashion, fancies himself to be the leader of the alternative government federally; hence the examination of the alternative Federal Government's proposals on a matter to which this Territory is a party is surely relevant in this place.
MADAM SPEAKER: The relevant standing order says:
Questions may be put to a Minister relating to ... proceedings pending in the Assembly or to any matter of administration for which that Minister is responsible.
The standing order is 114. The Minister may proceed.
MR LAMONT: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I would also indicate that I do not take responsibility for The Things That Matter. But, Madam Speaker, I have, as has been outlined in this house over the last number of days, ensured that in the review of public housing in the ACT, called the Housing Review, I have taken into account the range of available documents produced by other governments in this country and international organisations. I was, I think, quite responsibly looking at the alleged policy of the Federal Opposition in trying to assess the possible effects on the Territory.
I find it rather incredible because, on the one hand, in doing that review, I first of all went to Fightback - - -
Mr Stefaniak: That is a Telecom publication you have.
MR LAMONT: I am sorry; that is the 1994 Yellow Pages. It has about the same relevance now as Fightback had. We also closely analysed the policies that were outlined in Fightback, to see their relevance to housing matters in the Territory, and we were quite disturbed that the Opposition, in its entirety - Mr Kaine, Mr Humphries, Mr De Domenico, Mr Cornwell and you, Mrs Carnell - supported each of those principles in Fightback. In fact, you could not wait to jump around with glee. I was concerned that that was the case because - - -
Mr Humphries: Madam Speaker, on a point of order: It is bad enough that the question asked about something which is not at all a matter, under standing order 114, that is the responsibility of this Minister, but now the Minister is talking about a document which was not even the subject of the question. I would ask you to bring the Minister to relevance at least on the question and indeed to bring him in line with standing order 114.
MADAM SPEAKER: The first part of the standing order states "with which that Minister is officially connected". The Minister will proceed; but be mindful of the standing order that requires you to be concise, Mr Lamont.
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