Page 4354 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 21 November 1990
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debate of those important issues which appear today as orders of the day Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 in private members' business.
We know that the tensions which have developed within the Government lie mostly in the difficulties that the Residents Rally faction of that Government is having with the public debate over hospitals and schools. We also know that for the Residents Rally to display its position, or for the Residents Rally MLAs to display their position, in relation to these matters would be something new for those members of that faction of the Government. We have never been able to find out where they stand on most issues, from day to day. What these motions would force the Residents Rally MLAs to do, of course, is to show the people of the ACT what their position is. It seems to me that, if the Government seeks to put off the debate on these issues, that will be well recognised by the community. I think the Government should recognise this.
After all, the Government has the numbers to deal with these matters before the Assembly in private members' business in any way that they wish to. They do not have to worry about the numbers. Well, we assume that they do not have to worry about the numbers. It would be an interesting way, I suppose, for the people to find out in respect of the hospitals and schools issues if we could just get the Residents Rally members opposite to put their hands up, but therein lies the difficulty.
The decision of the Administration and Procedures Committee in this matter will be viewed as an endorsement of a delaying tactic if it is endorsed by the Government. Not only has the Administration and Procedures Committee adopted a position which will further delay the issue, but it has done so in the face of advice to the contrary. The advice that was received by the Administration and Procedures Committee from Mr Brazil, in response to a question whether or not further advice from a queen's counsel should be sought, in fact, was that that would be an appropriate course but that was a decision for the committee. The committee completely ignored that advice, and has chosen another course. I will not speak out of school like Mr Jensen, but this will also be viewed as a further indication that the Administration and Procedures Committee has been politicised because it, too, will be seen not only as an endorsement of a delaying tactic, but one which flies in the face of senior advice. There has never been any question about the advice.
I would call on the Government to oppose this interim report and to support the advice that was received from Mr Pat Brazil, which supported the passage of private members' business of the kind which has been put before this place by the Opposition. The Labor Opposition will support that proposal in order that private members' business is not blocked, whether or not it is embarrassing for the Government.
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