Page 2306 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 June 1994
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Madam Speaker, the debate on this Bill in the detail stage will give not only the Opposition but also each of the members on the cross bench the opportunity to see in practice how these amendments will work. I will go to the section 50 transfer question. Mr Kaine, you either do not understand or are deliberately ignoring the issues associated with portability. I also heard that interview this morning, and the section 50 transfer issue is a dead issue. Portability and transferability - two different matters - are not a concern that the unions have with their employer, the ACT Government. There is still one particular matter in regard to that to be finalised by the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth has indicated, in relation to its obligations, that it is prepared to have those matters tested before the commission. We are back before the commission this Friday to finalise that matter as far as the Commonwealth is concerned. In my view, it does not affect the way this legislation is proceeding this morning.
Mr Kaine, I am always a generous person when debating matters with you. I would suggest that your submission this morning was made on the basis of some extremely poor communication within your own party. We are in a position to proceed. We have gone through a process which, I believe, has been acceptable to the majority of the members of this Assembly. Without reflecting on a vote last week, Mr Kaine, it is the will of this Assembly that we proceed in this fashion.
MRS CARNELL (Leader of the Opposition) (10.42): Madam Speaker, I think Mr Lamont raised a number of very interesting issues. He said that amendments would be circulated by the close of business last Friday. Obviously, they have a different view on what the close of business is, as I received my amendments at some time after 7 o'clock. I understand that people who were not in the Assembly received them - - -
Mr Connolly: It is just that we are open for business for extended hours over here. We work hard.
MRS CARNELL: Except that nobody was upstairs, by the way, Mr Connolly. That means, Madam Speaker, that those people who were going away for the weekend, or who had other things on, simply did not get their amendments because they were not there by the close of business. The Government promised them by the close of business on Friday. It did not happen. We then had the meeting on Monday - and a very useful meeting it was too, I thought - at the end of which we were to have these other amendments. We did not get them, did we? In fact, I had not seen them until right now; nor had anybody else on this side of the house. In fact, this morning I had the very exciting experience of having to put together an amendment to an amendment that I had not seen. My amendment No. 1 had to be changed to suit your amendment No. 1. Unfortunately, we had not been given the amendment No. 1 that my amendment had to relate to. How ridiculous! This Bill is ridiculous the whole way through.
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