Page 290 - Week 01 - Thursday, 16 February 2012
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I think Mr Smyth and Mr Doszpot know I do go to the meetings regularly. I meet regularly with various members of the community council. I think they know that and they know comments they might make about my not standing up for the council or not listening to them are actually incorrect. And I do not think it is fair to say that at all.
There have been a number of instances of members saying things that are inappropriate, including about members of the public, individuals, people who are standing for preselection. I think that is actually worth noting. I do remember Mrs Dunne saying particularly nasty things in an adjournment debate before the last federal election about someone who was standing for preselection for the Labor Party. It happened to be Mr Hargreaves’s wife. That was a particularly nasty thing to happen to someone who cannot actually respond for themselves here.
We have also heard some pretty inappropriate things said about public servants on odd occasions. There again, they are members of the public. They cannot come in here and defend themselves. I remember, with the working with vulnerable people bill, some really inappropriate things were said about public servants. Some of them were actually sitting in the public gallery. We have talked about standards. It is up to all of us to raise the standards. There have been a number of instances where things have been said about people, and it is up to us to raise the standards, as members of this Assembly.
As I said, we will not support the censure. We have processes in place. I know I am going to hear all sorts of things from the Liberal Party about how I am not standing up for the Tuggeranong Community Council. That is particularly unfair. It is not true. Censures are not the right way to do that. We have processes in place, and quite clearly, as I have said, the other Labor Party member for Brindabella does not share those views. We need to deal with this appropriately. As I have said, we have all had instances where things have been said that were inappropriate. I repeat that it is up to all of us to lift the standard here in the Assembly.
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Health and Minister for Territory and Municipal Services) (10.33): I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion today. I must say, though, that all of Tuesday was spent with the Liberals trying to divert any attention from them, and it appears that all of Thursday is going to be a similar attempt by them to get over the repeated poor performance and poor media that they have suffered this week, by trying to waste the Assembly’s time on this.
The Greens have indicated they will not support the motion. The government will not be supporting the motion. The challenge to those opposite is not to have five, six or more speakers on this motion. You have made your point. We understand it. We know that the next three speakers lining up, frothing at the mouth, waiting to speak, are all going to say the same thing.
But let us get on with the business of the day. There is important legislation on the program. There is important business that is being sought to be raised under Assembly business. We did not get to one piece of legislation on Tuesday. You had private
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