Page 1019 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 25 February 2009
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MR HARGREAVES: The sad part for me, Mr Doszpot, is that I thought bigger of you. I thought much more of you and I am so disappointed that I am going to re-evaluate our relationship on this. Around multiculturalism I stand on my record. I have left you people standing in my wake. There is distance between me and those people, Madam Assistant Speaker. There is daylight between me and those people on the issue of multiculturalism, and the only way they can try to get a slice of the action—
Mr Seselja interjecting—
MR HARGREAVES: Now they bring down the Leader of the Opposition to take part in the blood—
Opposition members interjecting—
MR HARGREAVES: Well, let me tell you for the record, Madam Assistant Speaker: I intend to speak not one further word in this place on this issue. I have done it. You have done it to death. You had your opportunity in the election and you blew it. You just plain blew it. I expect it from Mr Hanson. I expect it from Mr Coe. I expect it from Mr Seselja—but I did not expect it out of you, Mr Doszpot. You surprise me, you disappoint me and now we will see about it.
Mr Doszpot: We will see about it?
MR HARGREAVES: Yep.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (4.40): I am not quite sure what that rant was meant to do but, particularly at the end of it, we seek some clarification on what that threat means—if the shadow minister does not agree with the minister, there is going to be some form of punishment, some form of ministerial punishment, because Mr Doszpot decides that he does not agree with this minister on everything.
We agree on a lot of things in multicultural affairs and it is unfortunate that the minister has hijacked the debate, which is inherently one we can all agree on:
That this Assembly recognises the continued success and growth of the Multicultural Festival, and its increasing importance as a flagship event in the ACT calendar that promotes harmony and goodwill among all citizens of the ACT.
Hear, hear to that! We can thank Ms Burch for bringing that forward. But what the minister seems to want is no opposition to any decisions that he makes. He seems to believe that the new shadow minister should come in and agree with everything that he says. Well, we will not. When you do stupid things, we will say so. We will highlight the stupid things that you do.
Mr Hanson: As did the Chief Minister.
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