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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 9 Hansard (23 November) . . Page.. 2548 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

Mr Speaker, what we have seen from this Government is an abject failure to live up to their promise of open and consultative government. I believe that the budget, as I have said on many occasions, is a complete fraud. The processes which led to the budget, the processes which we have seen in this parliament, should give every member in this parliament the greatest cause for concern. Mr Speaker, as some people on the crossbenches get to flex their muscles a little, get to feel their strength a little, they might be prepared - I hope they are - to actually put this Government on its mettle and challenge what the Government is doing in a way that might bear results, not in a way that they know is doomed to defeat.

Mr Speaker, I believe that this 1995 budget prepared by the Carnell Government has been well and truly the subject of censure. I commend the motion to everybody in the Assembly. I hope that I never again see the Government defy the will of this Assembly in the way that we have seen, and I certainly hope that in the lead-up to future budgets we will see a real consultation process - a process that involves all members of the Assembly, including those from the Labor Party, and that involves real consultation with the community, a two-way process, not just an edict from on high from this arrogant Government such as we have seen this year.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

MR MOORE (4.13 am): Mr Speaker, I seek leave to move a motion to censure the Leader of the Opposition.

Leave granted.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I move:

That this Assembly censures the Leader of the Opposition for the double standards adopted by her in her approach to the 1995-96 Appropriation Bill.

Mr Speaker, this motion is about the general duplicity and hypocrisy of the Labor Party as a whole and particularly about the double dealings of its leader, Rosemary Follett. A moment ago Ms Follett stood in this Assembly and said that, to a certain extent, the crossbenches can now enjoy flexing their muscles, but - I am paraphrasing - they really ought to do it in a way that bears results. As Ms Tucker said in her speech, with the Labor Party's support we could well have borne results, but instead they chose to follow a process - - -

Mr Connolly: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The speech in support, and indeed the motion itself, seem to be totally a reflection on a vote of this place - the vote that we took yesterday afternoon when Labor and the Government - - -

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