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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2228 ..

Mr Moore: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr Osborne: Sit down, Gary.

MR HUMPHRIES: I cannot. I have a sore back. I am standing up.

Mr Moore: Mr Speaker, I was waiting for Mr Humphries to sit down.

MR HUMPHRIES: I have a sore back.

Mr Moore: Okay, I accept that. Mr Speaker, standing order 55 states:

All imputations of improper motives and all personal reflections on Members shall be considered highly disorderly.

This Minister a minute ago said there are vested interests in this chamber and implied that for some reason of personal vested interest we were upset about this piece of legislation and were going to oppose it. I think that implies an improper motive. It is an imputation and it ought to be withdrawn and struck from the record.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, if the imputation hurts, then I will certainly withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Humphries. May I remind members that some of you have kept up a stream of criticism of the Minister and suggestions of improper motives ever since he got to his feet. I remind all members that standing order 55 applies to them as well.

Mr Kaine: Mr Speaker, I take a point of order. I draw your attention to standing order 202(a), and I suggest that Mr Moore is getting awfully close to - - -

Mr Moore: Mr Speaker, I think he means 202(e). Standing order 202(e) would be more appropriate, but (a) will do.

Mr Kaine: I said (a) but I will extend it to (e), Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Mr Humphries, please continue.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, another check built into this carefully evaluated system is that, once a proposed law has been tabled in the Assembly, the Chief Minister does an estimate of what it is likely to cost or save. The Auditor-General then provides an independent assessment of that estimate. The reason for this requirement is that if a proposal is to be enshrined in law it is necessary for the community to have reliable information on how much the proposal would cost or on the savings that might be made, just as the Executive does when deciding on legislative proposals in this place.

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