Page 641 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 4 July 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Commission were also part of that debate. The latter did the very best it could under very difficult circumstances despite pressure from without, a factor clearly acknowledged by the majority of us in this place when the results were finally declared. I note the comments by my colleague Mr Wood, and certainly during the campaign I had some feelings about that particular matter as well.
I understand that a statement about the impossibility of computers to count the votes was such a challenge to one computer professional that he used an existing database system to produce a method of counting the votes. I am not sure whether some members took the opportunity to look at that system at a recent display. I trust that the committee will seek to encourage this and other entrepreneurs to consider this problem. However, we must accept that further development of this work may require some financial contribution. Let us all hope for the sake of the voters and ourselves that the two-month count is a thing of the past. Even the Soviets have been able to do better than that.
The legislation which established this place has ensured that control over our future has been retained by the Federal Parliament. That Parliament and it alone has the power to change the size and structure of this Assembly, although at least it has allowed us to decide the size of the Executive.
The main aim of this motion is to provide Canberra residents with an opportunity to have a say in how they should be governed, an opportunity they did not have prior to the decisions by the Federal Parliament. I am sure that the people of Canberra will take the opportunity this motion provides to finally have some say in how we are governed. It is unfortunate that this opportunity was not given to us before that decision was taken.
In closing, I refer to the comments by Ms Maher in relation to the proposal by the Federal Parliament to examine the operation of self-government in the ACT. Like Ms Maher, the Rally considers that such a case is an insult to the people of the ACT. The quicker we take control of this important matter the better. But we should also be aware that the chairman of that committee has said that it will be doing nothing on this matter until it sees how we operate. To this end, Mr Speaker, it behoves us in this place to ensure that we are able to govern ourselves. The attitude that we take here in this Assembly and the way we operate will no doubt set the scene for the attitude by the Federal Parliament to the government of the ACT.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Stefaniak): I call Mr Prowse.
MR PROWSE (9.04): Mr Deputy Speaker, I speak in support of the motion. I feel this proposed inquiry addresses issues that are fundamental and intrinsic to the well-being of the Territory. You have heard my colleagues discuss matters of
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .