Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1547 ..

MR MOORE: The relevance is very simple. It is the same as the relevance of Mr Berry raising the issue of tobacco companies and the AHA influencing people. It is about the influence of people in terms of this particular piece of legislation and how people develop their attitudes and how they do not develop their attitudes. It is quite clear, Mr Speaker, that the Labor Club will be significantly advantaged - - -

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

MR SPEAKER: What point of order can you possibly raise?

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, Mr Moore is trying to impute, and has imputed repeatedly, that I am in some way influenced by - - -

MR SPEAKER: No, he has not. If you continue to take frivolous points of order, I will have to deal with you, Mr Berry. Mr Moore stated "the Labor Club".

MR MOORE: Exactly. Perhaps Mr Berry thought I had said "the Labor Party". The Labor Club has put the best part of $1m into the Labor Party. It is quite clear that Mr Berry seeks in this legislation to ensure that the Labor Club has an advantage - they have already put their money into their airconditioning and so forth - over other clubs. So when he sees a move in this Assembly to allow small clubs and taverns to continue in existence, that puts the Labor Club at a disadvantage.

Can Mr Berry or any other member of the Labor Party sitting in here really sit here and say, "I have had no influence; a mere $1m, give or take a little bit, coming into the party to help us has had no influence at all on me."? It does, because there is a clear conflict of interest for the Labor Party, for members of the Labor Party and for Mr Berry in particular to stand up here and accuse other people of being influenced by tobacco companies and the AHA. For him to sit there like that when he has been part of a small group of people who have been elected with the benefit of around $1m from the Labor Club is just not acceptable. Mr Berry certainly ought not to do this. There is a very clear conflict of interest for each and every one of the Labor Party members.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I think that is clearly an imputation. It is not allowed under the standing orders. A clear conflict of interest is determined by the Assembly.

MR SPEAKER: That is true, actually. There is an imputation there, Mr Moore, that there is a conflict of interest.

Mr Berry: You must withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: Please.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, there is a clear conflict of interest. I am not in a position to be able to withdraw. It is simply a clear conflict of interest and I think that what really ought to be happening is that the Labor Party ought to stand aside from voting on this piece of legislation, as they should have on the gaming legislation.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .