Page 1188 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 22 August 1989
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MR WHALAN (Minister for Industry, Employment and Education) (5.42): I would like to take this opportunity to speak on some of the achievements which we have seen in the portfolio area for which I am responsible which have occurred over the last 100 days, but before I go onto those initiatives I would like to pause to reflect for a moment on the uniquely difficult environment in which the Government operates. It is obvious that a minority government faces considerable difficulties in getting agreement for its proposals, but it is also often forgotten that a minority government has to trim its sails to the extent that it has to live with what it regards as imperfect decisions. We are often forced into positions which we would not normally adopt because we have to achieve what is possible.
Accordingly, I respond to criticism of the Government's action, or alleged inaction, by saying that in these circumstances the opposition has a fairly large say in this Assembly and cannot avoid some of the blame which it is attributing to us. By the same token, I should of course acknowledge the constructive support of the Liberal and No Self Government parties on important issues. It is important to accept that these parties have made a responsible contribution - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! The time for the discussion has expired.
POLICE OFFENCES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1989 [NO. 2]
MR STEFANIAK (5.43): Pursuant to the order of the Assembly of 25 July, I present the Police Offences (Amendment) Bill 1989. I move:
That the Bill be agreed to in principle.
Mr Speaker, I seek leave to table the covering letter from the Legislative Counsel's Office, dated 10 August 1989, that accompanied the final Bill.
Mr Speaker, I rise to speak on this with a bit of a sense of deja vu, as I spoke in relation to my initial Bill, then in relation to the subsequent committee report, and I now speak in relation to the Bill the Assembly directed me to prepare. Firstly, Mr Speaker, let me deal with some relevant parts of the Bill. From the original Bill that I placed before the house and pursuant to the majority report in the committee, drafting instructions were sent - appendix 4 to the report - to the Legislative Counsel, who in accordance with those instructions prepared this Bill. Section 35(1) now states:
Where a police officer has reasonable grounds for believing that a person in a public place has engaged, or is likely to engage, in violent conduct in that place, the police officer may direct the person to leave the vicinity.
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