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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (26 September) . . Page.. 3429 ..

Mrs Carnell: Is this about a code of conduct for the Assembly or is this just a go at me?

Mr De Domenico: If you go any further down, mate, you will be right in the muck in the sewer. That is where you belong - right in the muck.

MR BERRY: I would not mind a chance to speak, Mr Speaker.

MR SPEAKER: Order!

MR BERRY: The advertising for the Canberra edition of the Yellow Pages was in November 1995, eight months after Mrs Carnell became the Chief Minister. So the requirement of the code of ethics that Mrs Carnell should have nothing to do with the day-to-day running of her business has just been totally ignored. As I said earlier in my speech on this matter, I think the code of ethics adopted by the Government was deliberately written around Mrs Carnell's business. If Mrs Carnell and the Government had adopted the code of ethics - - -

Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I draw your attention to standing order 55. Mr Berry is quite entitled to put forward the motion he is putting forward, but I would suggest that much of what he has said in the last five minutes goes beyond what one could reasonably expect to hear in this place under standing order 55. It is quite clear. It says:

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

Mr Berry for some time has been making personal reflections about the Chief Minister, and there is no doubt that in much of what he has said there is a clear imputation of improper motive. Mr Speaker, I submit that much of what he has said over a period of about five minutes is highly disorderly under standing order 55. I suggest that you rule accordingly and ask him to withdraw it and to desist.

MR BERRY: On that point of order, Mr Speaker, may I just draw your attention to a few matters of fact. The first matter of fact is that I quoted from page 40 of Hansard:

Our code of ethics requires me to have nothing to do with the day-to-day running of my business ...

It is quite appropriate for me to use that quote because it is a matter of fact. Mr Speaker, it is also quite appropriate for me to discuss the need for a code of practice to cover conflict of interest, because it is an important part of the motion before the Assembly. Paragraph (b) of that motion - - -

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, on a point of order - - -

MR BERRY: I am speaking to the point of order, Mr Speaker. One point of order at a time, I think, is the rule.

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