Page 480 - Week 02 - Thursday, 22 February 1990
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Executive Deputies
MR WOOD: I also want to ask a question related to this matter - one that is, I believe, rather more important. We know that within a week or two the backbenchers of the Government or the Executive Deputies - whatever title they have - will go up to the fifth floor. I do not think this is a good idea. They will be moving themselves away from the parliamentary precinct to the administration precinct. Mr Kaine, does this very symbolic gesture, this separation, further emphasise the dominance of the Executive Government and do you regard the parliament so lightly as to remove all your members from its precincts?
MR KAINE: I am not sure, Mr Speaker, that I have any clear idea of where the precinct of the Assembly - - -
MR WOOD: Ground and first floors are the parliament.
MR KAINE: Well, they are part of it and I am glad that you added that Mr Wood - - -
MR WOOD: The fifth floor is the Executive.
MR KAINE: The fifth floor was the Executive, but your question presumes that they are moving into the administrative precinct. I do not quite know what you mean by that either.
MR WOOD: Are they going to the fifth floor?
MR KAINE: They will move to the fifth floor, but the fifth floor is not an administrative precinct. When you are clear on what it is that you are trying to get me to answer, then I will see if I can be equally clear in answering the question.
MR WOOD: Well, I will follow that up with a supplementary question, which is directly related. We are unique, Mr Kaine, in that we do not have a parliament building separate from the rest of the governmental activity. The tradition is that there is a parliament and that is where the members are; the Executive members go elsewhere to their administrative centres. In this building that happens to be the fifth floor, Mr Kaine, and by taking your backbenchers up there, you are removing them from the parliamentary sphere.
MR SPEAKER: I believe that was a statement rather than a question.
MR KAINE: Well, I do not mind making further comment on it, Mr Speaker. I think that Mr Wood's statement that we are unique in that there are not a series of different buildings which people occupy is the crux of the question.
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