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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 2787 ..

MR SPEAKER: I have to agree with Mr Humphries. It is not my place to make an observation on whether or not it was parliamentary for another occupant of this chair to rule whether a word was properly used or not. I do not even know the context in which the comment was made. In any event, I will not be making a statement or a comment upon somebody else's behaviour in this chair.

Mr Whitecross: Mr Speaker, that was one of three things I asked you to do. I take on board that you do not want to make a comment on Mr Hird's competence as a Temporary Deputy Speaker, but I still think it would be helpful to members if you provided some guidance on whether you are going to allow members in this place to call other members harlots.

Mr Humphries: Mr Speaker, I think it is absolutely unnecessary to do that, but if you do decide to rule on that you might rule on some other words at the same time. You might rule on "strumpet", "harridan" and "tart". We might use those words as well. Can you think of some other words, Wayne, that I could get the Speaker to rule on? "Prostitute" is a good word.

Mr Berry: I am not as vulgar and poisonous as you, old son. You are like a poison toad.

MR SPEAKER: The house will come to order. We have spent a great deal of time on this matter. I repeat that it is not my position as Speaker to rule on decisions made by other occupants of this chair.

Mrs Carnell: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Is it not wonderful that, one day after the Labor Party set the new direction that they are going to concentrate on things that matter, this is how they start the day?

MR MOORE (10.38): Mr Speaker, I present the Crimes (Amendment) Bill (No. 3) 1997, together with an explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

This legislation is about choice, it is about keeping police on the beat, it is about the police being able to make an immediate reaction and it is about contestability. While the Labor Party is busy saying what they are not going to do, I have been busy taking action again on ensuring that I can do something for the people of Canberra that affects their ordinary lives. Earlier this week I tabled Report No. 33 of the Planning and Environment Committee. The 33 reports of that committee represent the huge amount

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