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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (5 December) . . Page.. 3612 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

The argument has always been that in return for that privilege the club would make a major contribution back to the community. An independent commissioner's report tabled in the Assembly last week shows the contribution clubs make to the community, and it is appalling. That does not apply to all clubs. Anybody who reads the report will see that some clubs are making a significant contribution to the community. Contributions vary across a range.

This legislation says that there will be a community contribution. Carefully drafted guidelines say what we mean by a community contribution, but basically it is a contribution to our community charitable organisations, sport, schools, hospitals and those sorts of things - the sense in which we normally use the term "community contribution".

This is good legislation. It ought not to have been necessary, but time after time in this Assembly over at least the last five years, and I think longer, members of the Labor Party, in spite of their conflict of interest, which I have raised on a number of occasions -

Mr Berry: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Moore said that the members of the Labor Party have a conflict of interest. There are provisions in the standing orders to deal with that. It is out of order.

MR SPEAKER: There is no point of order. You may draw my attention to the standing order if you so wish.

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, there has been no decision of the Assembly in respect of that matter, and it is untrue and misleading for Mr Moore to say so. He has misled the house.

MR SPEAKER: You did not suggest it was untrue, did you, Mr Moore?

Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, I would advise you to stay out of the politics of this and -

MR SPEAKER: Don't tell me that as Speaker I am becoming political. I am trying to assist the discussion.

Mr Berry: I am just advising you. I am just giving you a bit of sound advice, with my long experience in the matter.

MR SPEAKER: Be careful.

MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, allow me to rephrase it to make Mr Berry feel a little bit more relaxed. I will withdraw everything I have said about conflict of interest and put it another way. Members may have read an editorial in the Canberra Times some time ago expressing the view that the Labor Party had a significant conflict of interest in coming into this Assembly and voting to support their nest egg, as I recollect it was described. There is no doubt that this is a nest egg for the Labor Party. I think the Canberra Times was absolutely right.

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