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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 62 ..

MS FOLLETT (continuing):

We saw Mrs Carnell clapping and smiling and nodding as Mr Howard launched his campaign the other day. We have seen from Mr Howard that he intends to abolish the Industrial Relations Commission.

Mr Moore: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker, under standing order 62.

Mr Humphries: That is a bald-faced lie. You should be ashamed of yourself for telling lies in public.

MS FOLLETT: No, it is not.

MR SPEAKER: Did you say standing order 62, Mr Moore?

Mr Moore: Yes, Mr Speaker, I drew attention to standing order 62 - irrelevance.

MR SPEAKER: It is not relevant.

MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I am directly addressing a quotation from the Chief Minister, where she complained that the unions have tried to take the umpire out of the equation.

MR SPEAKER: I accept the comment in relation to that quote, but the irrelevance that I am sure Mr Moore was referring to was the reference to Federal matters, as I recall; so I uphold the point of order. You may continue to make reference to taking the umpire out, by all manner of means; but I do not want reference to Federal matters or Federal views, because it is irrelevant.

MS FOLLETT: I am not surprised that you do not. I would not either, in your shoes. Mr Speaker, the fact of the matter is that we sat through a diatribe here - the entire 10 minutes - from your Minister, Mr De Domenico, about Kate Lundy and her candidature for the Federal Senate. I would ask you to be even-handed.

MR SPEAKER: It was not a 10-minute diatribe, as I recall.

MS FOLLETT: Yes, it was.

MR SPEAKER: Ms Lundy's name was certainly mentioned. Order! Can we get back to the debate.

MS FOLLETT: The fact of the matter is that, no matter how uncomfortable it makes all members of the Liberal Party, it is Liberal policy to take the umpire out for good and all. That is the fact, and it is totally hypocritical of Mrs Carnell to complain about it on this occasion. It is a total irony. Mr De Domenico, as I said, confined his remarks to Ms Kate Lundy and her candidature for the Federal election. Frankly, this is typical of an Industrial Relations Minister who has had to be locked away throughout this whole debate. He has been locked upstairs. He has no staff. It is like the Marie Celeste up there. They have taken everyone away because he is such an embarrassment. He is an Industrial Relations Minister without portfolio. He is taking the money, the ministerial allowance, and is not doing the job.

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