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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 2 Hansard (1 March) . . Page.. 488 ..

MR BERRY: I have a supplementary. If you are absolutely certain there is no agreement by Mr Tonkin to reverse his decision, will you instruct him to reverse his decision?

MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, I have just explained. I have only just received the letter, just this last moment, from the ANF. In any case, I am not going to instruct him to do anything I haven't read.

Mr Quinlan: He did it yesterday/

MR SPEAKER: Be quiet.

MR HUMPHRIES: He didn't do it. This letter only came in today; it didn't come in yesterday. At least, I hadn't seen it until today. It is dated 1 March. Unless Ms Duff had a premonition yesterday that this was going to happen today and she dated it today, then I hadn't seen it before today and she didn't write it before today.

I am not going to instruct Mr Tonkin to do anything. The guidelines make it clear what it is that he has to do in respect of the way in which these matters work. I will leave that decision to Mr Tonkin.

Mr Berry: Ignore what the Assembly said yesterday.

MR HUMPHRIES: No, I am not going to ignore what the Assembly said yesterday. The Assembly expressed its disapproval-

Mr Berry: Until it is blue in the face, we can do that, can we?

MR SPEAKER: Order! Will you be quiet, Mr Berry.

MR HUMPHRIES: If you want to make the government blue in the face you know exactly what to do. And you knew what to do before you moved your motion yesterday. I suggest you act accordingly. It is well established that not every motion in this Assembly is a directive to the government. You know that; I know that; everyone else knows that.

Mr Berry: If you don't follow that, what about a censure motion? Would you cop that?

MR SPEAKER: I warn you, Mr Berry. This is something of a record. We now have all six of you warned. By the way, I remind you that this warning applies for the rest of this day.

Mr Berry: Under what part of the standing orders?

MR SPEAKER: Constant interjections.

Mr Berry: From what part of the standing orders do you draw a conclusion that you can warn anybody?

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