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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 7 Hansard (2 July) . . Page.. 2136 ..


MR BERRY: I am happy to set a new pattern, Mr Speaker, of them asking me questions if you like. Do you want me to answer the question or just ask the supplementary question?

MR SPEAKER: If you wish to ask a supplementary question, you may. Mr Moore has asked for an apology. He is not enforcing it.

MR BERRY: I am happy to answer the question if I am not going to be pulled up.

MR SPEAKER: He did not ask a question; he asked for an apology. If you want to ask a supplementary question, do that.

MR BERRY: I like a free rein, Mr Speaker. Now that this major stumbling block has evaporated, will the Minister go back to the Commonwealth and negotiate to keep the Hospice on Acton or for compensation to support its relocation, to make up for the half-baked Acton-Kingston land swap deal, which is going to cost us so much?

MR SPEAKER: It is a very long bow that those two are related.

MR MOORE: Mr Berry, you did this deal in the first place. With the wisdom of hindsight, we can now see that it was a really lousy deal that you did five years ago. As you know, it was a position that I supported at the time. But with the wisdom of hindsight, Mr Berry, I can recognise that it was a really lousy deal. I wonder whether, with the wisdom of hindsight, you can do the same. Had Mr Berry listened to that interview or paid attention at all, he would realise that this was a minor part of the negotiations. It was put in that context on the radio. The Commonwealth is not interested in renegotiation.

This opportunity allows me to add an element to the question that the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Stanhope, asked earlier. When I responded to you about the costs and so on, I should have pointed out that the agreements on this matter between the ACT and the Commonwealth Government are at draft stage at this stage. They are not fully signed agreements. I just wanted to make sure that that was clear.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker - - -

Ms Carnell: You cannot have another question.

Mr Berry: No, he just said he wondered whether I - - -

MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, you may use the adjournment, if you wish to apologise. I am sure we will be happy to listen to you. That is two you have to do.


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