Page 752 - Week 05 - Thursday, 6 July 1989
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The Rally believes, Mr Speaker, that there should be some limit on the power of politicians to modify common law rights. The attempt today is, in effect, to pre-empt debate in this chamber when we get to, hopefully, the formation of an independent commission against corruption in this Territory and the proposals which hopefully will come out of the Public Accounts Committee of this Assembly.
When we debate those very important recommendations we will see, firstly, that when the Premier, Mr Greiner, spoke to the Independent Commission Against Corruption Bill in the New South Wales Parliament he was uninterrupted. He spoke in a statesmanlike manner about the fact that time has caught up with us all and we need these mechanisms in society, and that the superficialities of the political cut and thrust should be put aside in a statesmanlike manner for the creation of an independent commission against corruption. The Rally wants that commission established in the Australian Capital Territory. The people of the ACT have responded positively to the suggestion. There has been supporting editorial comment. The party machines in this chamber will ignore that deep-down thrust from the community at their peril.
Mr Speaker, the problems facing this Territory are economic stability and a confidence in ourselves and, if this chamber is going to become so thin-skinned as to put on this type of motion every time the normal democratic instinct in this chamber expresses itself, then it is a very sad day for the Territory. The tactics of the Rally in this chamber are under attack now, regrettably on both sides. It is most regrettable that Mr Kaine has now delivered himself into a situation where it is highly unlikely that he will ever be Chief Minister of this Territory.
Mr Berry: I rise on a point of order. The issue of Mr Kaine's propriety is not at large. The issue is clearly set out in the motion. I think Mr Collaery should stick to it and deliver.
MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Berry. Please proceed, Mr Collaery.
MR COLLAERY: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The situation is that with consummate political skill my friend across here, Mr Whalan, has organised once again to split the Rally and the reasoned elements in this chamber.
It is a very sad morning, when we start to get some good cut and thrust in this chamber, when we start to expose the capacities of the Government, when we start to see a community group itself protest about the behaviour of one of the Ministers in this chamber yesterday, and we see Mr Kaine on behalf of the party machine come in and protect that situation. It is most unfortunate. It means, in effect - and one must tell everyone in this Territory - that simply by default they will be left with this
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