Page 1615 - Week 08 - Thursday, 28 September 1989
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You are going about it in exactly the same way as it was done before. It was put in the water without our being asked, and now you are doing exactly the same thing. You are taking it out and you are not asking the people. You have put six weeks into considering big bins, which I do not consider that important. I consider that the rights of the people outside are important.
I consider that we should be asking the people out there what they want to do, and I do not understand how you can now turn around and say, "Well, we will go to a committee, we will turn it all off, and we will cost the taxpayer a fortune. We will have to buy all new machinery because this will have to be put into place to put more fluoride back into the water if the people decide they want it". If they do not want it, that is fine. But the point is that you could have gone to a committee in the first place, but you voted against it. You had the opportunity to put it to a committee, you could have put it to the Social Policy Committee, but you decided, "No, we will have a vote on it and do it later and take it out". I am sorry, but I just cannot understand the way the opposition works at all.
MR WHALAN (Deputy Chief Minister) (12.16): I move:
Add the following new paragraph -
"(3) until such time as the Assembly receives and decides upon the final report of the Standing Committee on Social Policy, on the matters referred to in paragraph 2, the Electricity and Water (Amendment) Act (No. 2) 1989 is hereby suspended from operation.".
Hector, this is your big chance to cooperate. You may not be a comedian but I am sure that you are an honest man and that you are prepared to rise to the challenge you proposed earlier, which is that we cooperate in relation to this matter. You have now an opportunity to respond to the universal condemnation of that idiotic decision which was made yesterday in relation to fluoridation.
Mr Jensen: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; I would suggest that the Deputy Chief Minister is reflecting on a decision of the house, which is against standing orders.
MR WHALAN: I withdraw. What we have got here is an opportunity to reverse what has been universally condemned in the public reaction.
Mr Moore: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; once again the Deputy Chief Minister is reflecting on a decision of the house.
MR SPEAKER: The Deputy Chief Minister is reflecting on a decision of the house.
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