Page 511 - Week 02 - Thursday, 22 February 1990
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it. The reason for that is not, of course, mischievous, as would never be the case with the Opposition. It is a matter of fact that this issue was placed in the lottery for matters of public importance and was not selected. I think it sets a fairly dangerous precedent that where matters of public importance - - -
Mr Kaine: A democratic Assembly.
MR BERRY: Well, it is not that if you can be interrupted by some loon across the chamber all the time. Essentially, what it boils down to is that matters of public importance are raised in the Assembly without the right of reply from other members.
MR STEVENSON (4.40): I wish to speak to the motion, Mr Speaker. There is a matter of grave public importance concerning the eligibility of members of the Federal Parliament, in the coming Federal elections. The reason I wish to make the statement today in this house is that this is a matter that should be cleared up prior to final nominations on March 2 for the Federal Houses in the coming election.
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (4.41): Mr Speaker, I merely wish to speak very briefly against the suspension of standing orders for this purpose. In the first place, Mr Stevenson has taken his chances in the ballot for a matter of public importance, and that is a democratic process. It is still available to Mr Stevenson to put his matter back in as a matter of public importance, so he has not lost that opportunity irretrievably.
The second point that I would wish to raise is that now I have some inkling of the matter which Mr Stevenson wishes to raise, it is quite clearly not relevant to this Assembly, and the appropriate place to raise matters that are not relevant to this Assembly is in the adjournment debate. So he has that opportunity available as well. He can make a statement on any matter that he wishes in the adjournment debate, and I would urge all members of the Assembly to stick with the program that we have before us and let Mr Stevenson take advantage, as all of us must do, of the procedures that are available to us.
MR MOORE (4.42): I also oppose the motion, Mr Speaker, and I would like to add to what Ms Follett has said. In fact, Mr Stevenson has had the opportunity over the last six sitting days to put this matter of public importance which he says is so important, and yet he seems only to have worried about it today. If it were really a matter of such gross importance he would have raised it sooner. Since the Federal election has been called, he has had the opportunity to put the matter up and have it balloted, then put it up again and have it balloted again. Had it been put up three or four times and missed out each time, I think we probably would have considered that there might be some particular reason to allow his statement. This is
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