Page 23 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 May 1989
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LENGTH OF QUESTION TIME
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister), by leave: I propose that question time will run each day for 30 minutes. I am confident that, given the size of the Assembly, the political groupings of its members, and an appropriate regard by Ministers for the principles of brevity and relevance, 30 minutes will provide a reasonable opportunity for members to fully participate in question time.
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition), by leave: Mr Speaker, I support the proposition that question time be confined to 30 minutes a day. It is on the clear understanding, however, that it is each day, and that there will be one and a half hours of question time per week. It is also predicated on acceptance of the fact that Ministers in reply will contain their comments to no more than about four or five minutes, so that members do get a chance to ask a range of questions of the members of the Cabinet.
MR SPEAKER: I am sure that brevity will be supreme with all questions, Mr Kaine.
MR COLLAERY (by leave): One should be mindful, Mr Speaker, of not disregarding the voice of the community for the sake of brevity. On this floor, the view of the Residents Rally is that it would want 45 minutes' speaking time.
MR SPEAKER: However, today's sitting will be 30 minutes as recommended by the Chief Minister.
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
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PREMIERS CONFERENCE
MR KAINE: I would like to address a question to the Chief Minister and Treasurer following upon the Premiers Conference last week, when we all discovered that, in regard to the amount of money available to the Territory for its budget in the coming fiscal year, the Commonwealth arbitrarily allocated $22.7m of that to a fund which originally was not to be available to us but which I understand is now, under certain circumstances, to be made available to us. Would the Chief Minister and Treasurer inform the Assembly under what conditions we can have access to that money and whether the Commonwealth Treasurer retains the power of veto to grant us or not grant us that money depending on whether he considers it to be appropriate that we should have it?
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