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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 9 Hansard (3 September) . . Page.. 2823 ..

MR HUMPHRIES: If I have sat on my hands, then you guys did so in a big way for over 31/2 years, and the question that needs to be asked is why that was the case. Obviously, you want to blame the senior officers concerned for this. I do not pass judgment - - -

Mr Whitecross: No; I am blaming you.

Mr Wood: No; we are blaming you. You are the one.

MR SPEAKER: Order! I have asked you to be quiet.

Mr Hird: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. Can you bring the house to order - that rabble across there? I direct your attention to standing order 39.

MR SPEAKER: Sit down, Mr Hird. There is no point of order.

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, Mr Whitecross is obviously very quick to blame the police. The question he asked me was what did I think about the credibility of people who gave that sort of answer on the floor of the Estimates Committee.

Mr Whitecross: No, I did not.

MR HUMPHRIES: That was the thrust of your question, Mr Whitecross, and the Hansard will show that. I note that you do not have a very good record in your relations with the police. I think your maiden question in this place was about how incompetent the police were in answering telephone calls by people dialling the 000 number - a claim which was never substantiated.

Mr Whitecross: Mislead, mislead!

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I ask that Mr Whitecross withdraw that comment.

MR SPEAKER: Order! There is far too much - - -

Mr Whitecross: Mr Speaker, if he misleads the house, I cannot see why I should have to withdraw it.

MR SPEAKER: Was "mislead" the word that was used?

MR HUMPHRIES: He said "mislead", yes.

MR SPEAKER: Please withdraw, Mr Whitecross.

Mr Whitecross: I think the Minister owes it to the house to demonstrate the veracity of what he claimed.

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