Page 768 - Week 02 - Thursday, 10 March 2011
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I am, of course, aware of and I think we all enjoyed the enormous gymnastics of one of our senators, a senator who in the past has had a predilection for sticking up for the people of the ACT; he was even prepared to cross the floor. But I do believe that as he agonises over his job or his job, and how to keep his job, his views about sticking up for the people of the ACT have changed somewhat. I must say I have no idea what Senator Humphries in particular thinks about this provision. Indeed, for other federal representatives I am very aware of their clear position and their public position that this provision should be removed from the self-government act to acknowledge, and out of respect for, the people of the ACT.
So the standouts in the ACT, of course, are Senator Humphries, a senator for the ACT who simply will not declare that he is prepared to ensure the democratic rights of the people of the ACT, and the Liberal Party of the ACT that does not have the courage or the leadership to stand up for the people of the ACT or indeed to contradict any of its federal members. It is a classic case of Mr Seselja really now fulfilling his role as a Tony Abbott clone.
I think the only voice from the Liberal Party of the ACT that I am aware of is that of Greg Cornwell, an esteemed ex-Speaker of this place, who has made a submission. I will just read out in the time that I have Mr Cornwell’s views on behalf of the Liberal Party:
I remember a Federal Government’s social laboratory attempts years ago prior to ACT self-government and fear with the Greens’ concept of a Brave New World we will face the same challenges again.
(Time expired.)
MRS DUNNE: A supplementary question, Mr Speaker?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Mrs Dunne.
MRS DUNNE: Chief Minister, in your submission to the parliamentary inquiry did you at any stage point out that there were motions in this place to have a more wide-ranging inquiry into the self-government act and that you voted against those motions?
MR STANHOPE: I did point out that this Assembly has previously passed motions seeking a full ranging inquiry and indeed I passed that motion to the federal parliament and have advocated serially with three prime ministers over the last 10 years for just such an inquiry. I think at one level it might be the same sort of inquiry that the spokesperson for the Liberal Party in the ACT, Mr Greg Cornwell, would like. I will just repeat the only Liberal Party view that I am aware of in relation to the inquiry; I am not quite sure exactly what it is that Mr Cornwell was saying here as a Liberal Party member, but I will read it again:
I remember a Federal Government’s social laboratory attempts years ago prior to ACT self-government and fear with the Greens’ concept of a Brave New World we will face the same challenges again. Gay marriage and euthanasia simply are Trojan Horses, precursors to much more and currently unknown “progressive” legislation in what already is a nanny territory.
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