Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 5152 ..

MRS DUNNE (continuing):

for every state. You get to the Australian Capital Territory and it says, "This page will be updated closer to Australia Day 2004."That is because this mean-minded, scroogy, scrimpy government does not want to support something that is a tradition. The Labor Party is saying, "Well, we're the Labor Party and we're opposed to everything. We want to put our stamp on everything."

It is the same as what happened when Mr Wood was the minister for the environment. He threw out all the environment advisory committees and created his own because he had to put his own mark on things. It is the same; every element of what has come before has to be thrown out and created anew by this government.

We are throwing out everything that people value along the way. We have not even got a solution to what we might do instead. We are going to have another inquiry. How many is that, Mr Speaker? We are going to have another investigation so that in 2005 we might have a Laborised version. This is not appropriate. I ask the members of this house to support Mr Smyth's motion because it is about bringing our community together, not ripping it down.

MR HARGREAVES (8.09): We have been treated to a stack of emotional claptrap if ever I have heard it. I find that it is absolutely offensive. Like Mrs Dunne, I came to Australia from overseas, and I love the place. I took out citizenship, I joined the army, I did my bit. Why? Was it because it was a good idea at the time? No. It was because I love this country I think it is fantastic. We are throwing out everything, says Mrs Dunne. What a load of rubbish!

There are a few facts about all of this stuff that people seem to gloss over in their desire to get an emotional point into this argument. This committee, the national capital committee, is not representative of the ACT community. Wake up to yourselves; it is not. This committee is not a creature of this Assembly, it is not a creature of this government, it is not a creature of this community. It is a bunch of people stuck in there because they have nothing better to do with their time.

What this minister is all about is restoring the dollars to a representative body. Mr Speaker, was I asked what I felt would be a good celebration exercise for this community? No. Was Ms Tucker? No. Was any member of the Liberal opposition? Well, I do not know. Certainly nobody on this side of the house was ever asked. Was this Assembly asked? Was the standing committee of this Assembly asked? No. Somebody in their kitchen decided, in their wisdom, that they were going to have a party. I don't think that is a bad idea-

Mr Pratt: What was different to the previous year?

MR HARGREAVES: I didn't like it that time, Mr Pratt, and I don't like it this time, either. What I do not like is a photocopy of the federal parliament, and that is what you have here; you have a photocopy. It is not on.

Mr Speaker, what this motion says is that we should not do something which is inconsistent with the national celebrations. What a bunch of federal Liberal Party sycophants you lot turned out to be. You are just perpetuating the notion that we are

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .