Page 3149 - Week 15 - Thursday, 14 December 1989
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Assembly who had originally sought separate representation on committees have now joined in government. Claims that the effectiveness of committees will be diminished by the reduction in numbers are nonsense, Mr Speaker. The reverse in fact is the case. The opposition have more of a role to play. The committee effectiveness will be enhanced, as members will not have to spread themselves so widely across committees.
Also, Mr Speaker, as I am sure our colleague Mr Wood will attest, members will be able to master their subjects rather than having to divide their time and effort constantly across committees. This is a genuine attempt by the Chief Minister who instructed me and the party whip to try to achieve a conciliated concord on this issue. Regrettably, that is not possible.
Mr Speaker, I commend the motion particularly to the opposition because it gives them an effective role. If there are some small finetuning requirements, I am sure that the party whips, once they can get their effective communication going with Mr Whalan, can sort them out. But, broadly speaking, until the new year, we offer you a committee involvement commensurate with traditions of parliamentary assemblies. There can be no suggestion, of course, that we have made a unilateral decision. We made a suggestion. Two members of the alliance Government went to Mr Whalan's room - - -
Mr Jensen: Twice.
MR COLLAERY: Twice - and there was also other discussion. The matter did not proceed last night. We come to the floor here with an offer to the opposition. If they wish to withdraw from the committee process, they should signal that indication here on the floor. But it would be a great shame, because their most reasonable member - probably their most competent member and certainly a member who has made a great contribution - Mr Wood, would really suffer an injustice, in our view, if he were to be excluded from committee work simply because there is a sense that the opposition wishes to do its work otherwise than in the committee structure.
Mr Speaker, I endorse the proposals on which we have attempted to reach agreement and trust that the house will agree to them until you, Mr Speaker, presiding in the traditional role, assist with the reconstitution of all committees in the new year.
MR WHALAN (11.35): Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition will be speaking to this, but I just want to establish one thing quite clearly in relation to any conversations that took place between me and Robyn Nolan and Major Jensen. The fact is, and I have got my handwritten notes here, that when Robyn - Mrs Nolan - and Norm Jensen came into my office and I said, "Now, what are we going to discuss?", Robyn Nolan said, "We are not here
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