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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (8 April) . . Page.. 682 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

for political reasons. If Mr Berry can back up his innuendo, let him put the facts on the table, not carry on this snide campaign by innuendo that the Government is somehow doing something that is wrong. I know of nothing to support Mr Berry's contention. If he cannot put his money where his mouth is, he should withdraw unequivocally the inferences that he is trying to draw.

MR SPEAKER: I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of 18 members of the graduate administrative assistants course. We welcome you to your Assembly.

MRS LITTLEWOOD: I address my question to the Minister for Urban Services in his capacity as Minister responsible for transport. Does the Minister believe there should be another inquiry into the economic impact of the high-speed train, or will such an inquiry only delay the progress of the project?

MR KAINE: Thank you for the question. Not another inquiry! Every day I read the papers, listen to the radio and watch TV and every day the Opposition says, "Here is another subject on which there ought to be an inquiry or a review or a study". Is it not interesting? They did not do too many inquiries, studies or reviews when they were in government. They just sat here like a bunch of nugget heads and did nothing. Now they are suggesting that every subject in the world should be the subject of an inquiry.

Mrs Littlewood, I do not support the notion that there should be yet another inquiry into the economic impact of a high-speed train link between Canberra and Sydney. It is completely unnecessary. Indeed, it could needlessly interfere with and delay the start of this vital infrastructure project. The call for such an inquiry by Mr Corbell says more about his inexperience and lack of knowledge than it does about the wisdom of such a proposal. In recent years, Mr Speaker - - -

Mr Corbell: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I do not think someone's age or length of time in this chamber should determine how people judge an issue.

Mrs Carnell: That is not a point of order.

Mr Corbell: I think it is very important that younger people in this Assembly have a chance to participate just as much as older, more experienced members. As a result, I ask you to rule Mr Kaine out of order on that point.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

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