Page 1700 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 18 May 1994
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anything else. We can all stand here, hand on heart, and talk about traditions and parliamentary things and whatever. This is all about politics and it is all about the arrogance of this Government in making sure that it can do whatever it wants to do, no matter what this Assembly says.
Let me remind members of what this Assembly did say. This Assembly voted no confidence in the former Minister for health and racing and sport because this Assembly found that he misled it. The vote was nine to eight, and that wins every time, Mr Berry, as you would know.
Mr Lamont: That is dead right, and that is how the standing orders will be changed.
MR DE DOMENICO: Okay, Mr Lamont; let us see. What this Assembly did was to say, "We have no confidence in you, Mr Berry". What did the Chief Minister do after that? She forced him, kicking and screaming, to resign, and he did, and that is good - just to save her own neck, by the way.
Mr Berry: What is the relevance of this, Madam Speaker?
MR DE DOMENICO: The relevance is exactly why we are debating this issue, Mr Berry. It is called political reality. Then what did the Chief Minister do? How naughty Mr Berry was! She kept him on the top floor, No. 1, treating him as she has treated every other backbench member of the Labor Party. What else did she do then? She gave him $10,000 more in salary component. After this Assembly had moved no confidence in the man for lying to us, literally - for misleading us; I withdraw the term "lying", Madam Speaker - - -
Ms Follett: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, I do ask that Mr De Domenico withdraw the word "lying".
MR DE DOMENICO: I did.
Ms Follett: I also ask him to withdraw the imputation that I gave Mr Berry more money. I did not. I gave him an additional staffing allocation.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr De Domenico, I ask you to keep that distinction clear. I did hear you withdraw the word "lying".
MR DE DOMENICO: Madam Speaker, to get back to the debate, after Ms Follett gave Mr Berry $10,000 more for his staffing allocation, if that pleases the Chief Minister, what did she do? This Assembly decided to vote no confidence in him. Why? For misleading us. She stuck him on the top floor and gave him an extra $10,000 staffing allocation. Then she comes in here today and wants to amend standing orders just to satisfy Mr Berry. How arrogant is that, for heaven's sake? Disregard what this Assembly says. The caucus decides that Berry has to be made to feel welcome, so let us amend the standing orders of this place. That is what it is all about. It is all about arrogance; it is all about power; it is all about ignoring the will of this Assembly. As Mr Humphries said, and as Mr Moore and Mr Stevenson have said from time to time, it is all about making sure that your mates get treated properly. You know that that is what it is all about.
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