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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2037 ..
MR QUINLAN (continuing):
This process of saying, "Oh no, I will leave it to the board of ACTEW," means that you cut out the rest of the Assembly. This is not the first time that we have seen this particular tactic employed: "Oh no, I leave that; let the managers manage." Everybody in here knows that these matters, the material matters, are discussed between government and senior officials, whether they be board appointees or administrators. I think we should revisit that question, and the government should think again in terms of how they address such matters as this and how they stand in this place and so disingenuously say, "I will leave that to the administrators." Nobody believes it. The net effect, and the bottom line, is that the rest of the Assembly is disenfranchised in relation to that decision, and I think that is totally unsatisfactory.
In relation to the other reports, Mr Kaine spoke of conspiracy. I have to say that when it comes to a choice between conspiracy and stuff-up, Mr Kaine, I back stuff-up every time. If you have seen the layers of legislation that have come through in the last week or so in relation to the implementation of the GST, I think they give a true picture of what is happening beyond this place. So, I will not be as unkind as you, Mr Kaine, as to accuse the government of conspiracy in relation to these reports. I think they just haven't done their job. I commend the report to the Assembly.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Motion (by Mr Humphries ) agreed to, with the concurrence of an absolute majority:
That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent the order of the day, Assembly business, relating to the Report of the Select Committee on Estimates 2000-2001 on the Appropriation Bill 2000-2001 and on Appropriation Bill 1999-2000 (No. 3) being called on forthwith.
Debate resumed.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Humphries, at the time that we suspended for lunch you had just finished your comments, and I am not sure whether you were seeking an extension or not.
MR HUMPHRIES (Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Community Safety) (5.16): I seek an extension of time, Mr Speaker.
(Extension of time granted.)
MR HUMPHRIES
: I will try not to speak for very long, Mr Speaker. I just want to put a few things on the record about the government's view about this report. I said before lunch that I thought the report was sloppy, that it was rushed, that the process had been
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