Page 551 - Week 02 - Thursday, 25 February 1993
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ADJOURNMENT
Motion (by Mr Berry) proposed:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Members' Staff
MR HUMPHRIES (4.23): I rise to address a matter that arose out of a question that the Chief Minister answered earlier today. The Chief Minister answered a question of mine concerning a staff resource increase for Mr Moore and Ms Szuty. The answer was, to say the least, quite disturbing. It was disturbing because it seemed to answer a question, which has lingered naggingly over the past few days, concerning the policy pursued by Mr Moore and Ms Szuty on the floor of this house regarding the pace of government legislation. Let me take members back to last year. During a debate on a matter of public importance on 23 June 1992, Ms Szuty said to the Assembly:
As one of the two members elected to this Assembly as an Independent, I feel strongly about the issue of the time that needs to be taken to carefully consider Bills and to have input from relevant groups and individuals. I feel that it is a very important matter of principle that Bills are tabled in the Assembly and then allowed to lie on the table for some 60 days prior to final debate.
Mr Cornwell: Who said that?
MR HUMPHRIES: Ms Szuty. She continued:
Members of this Legislative Assembly have a responsibility to the electorate to consider carefully issues brought to their attention by their electors, the Government, other Assembly members and interest groups.
Mr Moore also contributed to that debate and he said:
The ideal, as the leader of the Abolish Self Government Coalition points out, is that a Bill should remain on the table for something in the order of 60 days. This is something that I have spoken of before in this house ...
He later said:
Public consultation and informed debate are vital to the process, so Assembly members must have time to research the consequences of each proposal and to consult with the community before being asked to vote on those issues.
Mr Cornwell: That was Mr Moore, was it?
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, that was Mr Moore. He continued:
It certainly is my wish that that become the general practice.
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