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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 1 Hansard (15 February) . . Page.. 20 ..

Mr Berry: Oh, no.

MR STEFANIAK: No, you cannot, Mr Berry. In making some of the comments that you made, I think you were just blatantly politicising the issue and trying to score very cheap points, not recognising the significance - - -

Mr Berry: Go out and visit them, Bill.

MR STEFANIAK: I have, Mr Berry. We will look at this report and consider what your two colleagues said in a spirit of cooperation, not the blatant, stupid political point-scoring which you seem to go in for.

One thing I did mention to the committee when I appeared before it was that we have had quite a lot of anecdotal evidence that people actually come to the ACT, certainly people on postings, because they feel that our services are better than the services interstate. I am not saying that they are perfect, Mr Speaker. I am saying that a report like this one is going to be a useful tool for the Government. We may not agree with everything that is in there, especially if Mr Berry has had too much to do with it, but we do take the subject seriously.

Mr Moore and I have a number of concerns in this area. From a whole-of-government perspective, there are certainly things that the Government can do better. I find from getting out and talking to people, Mr Berry, that there are still coordination difficulties.

I have one further point to make before I adjourn the debate. I was interested in the comments on the Cranleigh School playground. You might find that they have been rectified.

Mr Kaine: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. If the Minister is speaking to this matter, how can he then adjourn the debate on it? I seek a ruling from you on that matter.

MR SPEAKER: No, he will not be adjourning the debate, Mr Kaine.

MR STEFANIAK: I would now seek to adjourn the debate.

Mr Kaine: You cannot.

MR STEFANIAK: I can. The Government has to make a formal response.

Mr Kaine: You have already spoken.

MR STEFANIAK: All right, I will just make those points in relation to Mr Berry's comments and thank Ms Tucker and Mr Hird for their much more positive comments. On that basis, Mr Speaker, I will sit down if you want someone else to adjourn the debate.

MR SPEAKER: I will leave that to somebody else, Mr Minister.

Debate (on motion by Mr Humphries ) adjourned.

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