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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1998 Week 6 Hansard (2 September) . . Page.. 1749 ..

Mr Rugendyke: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. I believe that that accusation was debunked last week.

MR BERRY: That is not a point of order.

Mr Rugendyke: It is an allegation that was spuriously brought by Mr Berry and it was debunked.

MR SPEAKER: Yes, that is true, Mr Rugendyke. However, Mr Berry said that they believed. He qualified the accusation.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, it was clear that there was an arrangement which would have permitted Mr Osborne to bring his Bill on quickly.

MR SPEAKER: Now, you are going beyond the comments.

Mr Rugendyke: Once again, Mr Speaker. That goes overboard.

MR BERRY: There was an arrangement - I have not said with whom - that would allow Mr Osborne to bring it on at an early moment. Mrs Carnell publicly - - -

MR SPEAKER: Order, please! Mr Berry, let us qualify this. The fact is that Mr Osborne was given leave to introduce the Bill. As for an arrangement, I think that is as far as you can go. What else may have happened is only hearsay. I would caution you.

MR BERRY: Indeed, Mr Speaker. You should join the debate. You are doing well.

MR SPEAKER: I am.

Mr Rugendyke: Withdraw. That is scandalous.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, I withdraw that.

MR SPEAKER: Thank you.

MR BERRY: Mr Speaker, the issue was then supported by Mrs Carnell publicly. She agreed with Mr Paul Osborne bringing on his Bill at an early moment because everybody knew what the issues were; there should not be a lengthy debate. Well, Labor won that argument because in the end Mr Osborne went to water because of the public outcry against what he was doing and it was delayed. Right. Having won that debate, let us move on.

Yesterday, as part of that community demonstration of outrage, there was another position taken by the community and they requested that Mr Osborne withdraw the Bill. That is the point that we are raising here. There is no obligation on Osborne to do anything with the matter. As I said in my opening remarks, this is asking Paul Osborne to consider the request. I am disappointed that some of my colleagues have gone to water on this, but it is clearly no more than that.

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