Page 2311 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 22 June 1994
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thinking of those with the numbers was not right. We have had legislation back in this Assembly to be amended again and again. Sometimes simple errors have caused problems; something was not typed correctly or clauses did not relate, particularly when there had been last minute amendments. With less haste, most of these things would not have happened.
What I call for, on behalf of all of us, is less haste. By all means, let us do the job, and let us do it well; but let us do it in due time. Let us give the people who still have concerns an opportunity to get them across. Adjourn the matter. No-one wants to stand in this Assembly in the coming months and in the coming years and have to refer to this time when important laws were passed without sufficient time for correct adjudication. As Mr Moore says, we are all adjudicators, and I agree; but give the adjudicators time to get it right. No-one wants to stand up later on and say, "I know why we got it wrong. It was because it was rushed through". Let us adjourn it.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer) (11.03): Madam Speaker, it is becoming abundantly clear that this Assembly is to be subjected to a filibuster by members of the Opposition in a last ditch attempt to delay the passage of this legislation. We have seen speaker after speaker from the Opposition, with nothing new to add to the debate, get to their feet merely to seek to delay the progress on this Bill. I consider that to be the height of irresponsibility.
Madam Speaker, a motion was passed in this Assembly last week saying that the Bill would be considered today. In seeking to filibuster their way out of that motion, which was agreed to by the Assembly, I consider that members opposite are showing contempt for a motion passed in this Assembly. It was clearly the will of the majority of members that the Bill be considered today. There was no opposition from the Liberal Party to that motion, as I recall. Madam Speaker, we have a clear obligation to proceed today, and to proceed in an orderly and businesslike fashion, not with this empty filibuster that we are getting from members opposite.
A couple of issues have been raised which I would like to clarify. The first of those, Madam Speaker, concerns the right of any member of this Assembly to move an amendment to a Bill while it is being debated. This morning we received from Mr Stevenson a couple of amendments which are entirely news to me. Despite the fact that Mr Stevenson was present at the round table discussions on Monday, he did not indicate that he would be moving amendments, although the issues discussed were at least touched on at that debate on Monday. We also have, just today, additional amendments put forward by Mrs Carnell. That is a member's right, and I accept absolutely that that places demands on all members in the course of a difficult debate. Of course it does.
Madam Speaker, the Government's amendments were given to members at the meeting on Monday. Also, as in the case of Mr Stevenson's amendments, other issues were discussed. For instance, ACTEW, the Legal Aid Commission, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the matters which are now subject to later Government amendments were canvassed at that meeting, so members simply cannot claim that they were unaware of those issues. So, Madam Speaker, I think it is most unfortunate that people are now pretending that issues are being sprung on them.
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