Page 639 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 4 July 1989
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appointed who did not live in this town and who, quite properly, felt the need to go home at the weekends or other times. I think that was done deliberately. Why was there the need to go to Sydney to get someone to do this job?
I am not aware that any extra staff were ever appointed. I know that there were submissions from the Labor Party for that to happen; maybe the other parties did the same. Extra staff would have made a great difference and would have expedited the count.
What should have happened? The Electoral Commissioner, a very competent person, as all of our public servants perhaps are, was well aware of the complexity of the count. He should have established a clear policy from the start that he was going to do what all public servants do when they are presented with a complex task by their administration, and say, "Gosh, this is a lot to do. I am going to do it as best I can and we'll get this done".
Many public servants out there undertake tasks that they may have argued against, but they do them. So the Electoral Commissioner needed to establish that policy. Then he should have acquired the staff to do it. He should have trained the staff to do it, as he did before the election, but he should have trained a larger staff to do that job, and he should have seen to the physical resources necessary. That is what any competent, dedicated public servant would have done, but it did not happen on this occasion. Therefore, I can justly claim that the policy of the Electoral Commissioner ensured that the electoral count was not done properly. It could have been done, I believe, in two or three weeks less. Judged on the criterion of the importance of a speedy and competent count, the commission failed in its job.
I am not sure what control we will have over the matter next time. I certainly hope, and I share Ms Maher's views, that we are not going to have such a frustrating time three years down the track.
Mr Kaine: Or less.
MR WOOD: I do not imagine that at all, Mr Kaine; I cannot see that happening. I give notice that, as part of my deliberations on this select committee, I will be looking to see that the next count is done very effectively and that my colleagues and I - and I do not know what others of you people here - will be back into this Assembly much more rapidly than occurred on this occasion.
MR JENSEN (8.57): Mr Speaker, my remarks will be reasonably brief. The Rally will be supporting the motion by Mr Duby to establish this committee. However, while acknowledging the statements by Mr Stevenson, my colleague Dr Kinloch will be speaking more directly to those particular issues. We acknowledge also the very busy program that our committees have, especially the Labor
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