Garrett David: Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Garrett David: Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:660;Page:9165] 
DAVID GARRETT (ACT) 
: 
 I rise to speak on Part 1 of the Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment Bill in order to correct some misinformation that has been promulgated by Mr Darren Hughes. For those of us in the Chamber who are old enough to remember Mr Hughes appears to be the Peter Thornton of the Labour Party the troubleshooter who comes to fix things up. Maryan Street knows what I am talking about. 
Mr Parker talked about the inhumanity of National in suggesting that when the tyrant the fiend Graeme Burton rejoins society to deny him a $10000 titanium leg will somehow make the National Party and by inference the ACT Party inhumane and lacking in compassion. Let me tell Mr Parker this: Graeme Burton is a psychotic killer. If Mr Parker were on Earth instead of Mars he would know that he will never be released ever. He knows that. Darren Hughes is nodding. He knows it too. He has tried to say that you did not mean what you said but you did. 
Hon David Parker 
: I did. 
DAVID GARRETT 
: You said that we are— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: The member cannot bring the Chairperson into the debate. 
DAVID GARRETT 
: My apologies Mr Chairperson. The member is being disingenuous—or “disingenius” as Jacinda Ardern has put it—in claiming that members on this side of the House are lacking in compassion. Graeme Burton is entitled to food medical treatment not to be tortured and not much else. He is certainly not entitled to a $10000 titanium leg. Every such leg given to somebody like Graeme Burton means that somebody else does not receive the benefit of the scare resources of accident compensation. Mr Hughes—and you can look uncomfortable Mr Parker; I am sure you will—can come down here and act as Peter Thornton as much as he wishes but you said it. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: This the second time— 
DAVID GARRETT 
: The member said it Mr Chairperson. My apologies. 
Hon David Parker 
: And I stand by it. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I am on my feet. The member cannot bring the Chair into the debate. He cannot say “you”. I ask him to please respect that. 
DAVID GARRETT 
: I was carried away with passion rather than with compassion. Yes that member did say that. I would like the 152 people listening to this debate to note that the member stands by his statement that to deny Graeme Burton a $10000 titanium leg is lacking in compassion. Well I do not believe that is the case. Those resources are scarce. We all agree that accident compensation needs to be given to people who need it not to criminals escaping from jail not to Graeme Burton to enable him to kill somebody else. He will try again I say to Mr Parker. If you are too stupid to realise that you should not be here— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: That is the third time that the member—[ 
Interruption 
]. This is a debate on Part 1. To refer to another matter by way of reference like you have been doing is fine but your whole speech cannot be on that subject. We are talking about Part 1 and we are nearing the end of the debate on it. I ask the member to confine his comments—with reference; that is fine—to Part 1. And I say for the third time that the member cannot bring the Chair into the debate. 
Hon Simon Power 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. Having been in the Chamber now for three-quarters of an hour and having listened to contributions from both sides of the Chamber I think it is fair to say that Mr Garrett brings a certain forthright style to the debate in the Committee of the whole House. But his use of the word “you” has been no less or more regular than that of Carol Beaumont during her contribution. I ask that when members opposite are making a similar contribution and using a similar inappropriate word a similar standard is applied. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I thank the member for those comments. I have sat here for some hours now and I will judge the quality of the debate. I know that the member is exuberant and passionate about what he is saying but on three occasions in a row I have mentioned and brought to his attention his use of “you”. The member has 2 minutes remaining. I invite David Garrett to continue. 
DAVID GARRETT 
: It is not my habit to use up time needlessly. I think I have made my point. The scarce resources of the accident compensation system should be applied to people who need and deserve them and Graeme Burton and other criminals do not fall within that class. I think Mr Parker will be haunted by his statement that he stands by what he said earlier despite attempts by the troubleshooter to ameliorate what he said. Thank you.