Page 2947 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 September 1994
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Mr Moore: No; I said that it is a fundamental change in the way we operate our democracy.
MR STEVENSON: I agree. I am sorry, but you cannot say "democracy" when you talk about the way we operate our Assembly. The other point is that Mr Moore suggested, in the heat of the moment - I know that he did not mean it - that I would inflict this on the people of Canberra. I can only suggest that he was out of the room at the time when I spent about eight minutes - in deference to Mr Berry, I will not do it again - going through all the things we have done in Canberra to consult and communicate with people. I said that we started surveying many years ago.
Mr Lamont: Are you going to move your amendments?
MR STEVENSON: I move the amendments that I have circulated in the Assembly.
MADAM SPEAKER: Mr Stevenson, you have to seek leave to do that, because you are moving more than one amendment.
MR STEVENSON: I seek leave to move the amendments together.
Leave granted.
MR STEVENSON: I move:
Paragraph (3) -
Omit "3", substitute "4".
Omit "and independent member", substitute "independent member, and a member of the Abolish Self-Government Coalition".
Ms Szuty mentioned earlier that I may want to get on the committee simply because I have an interest. It is not simply because I have an interest; it is because I believe that I could be of some benefit to the committee and because I have done a lot of research on the subject. I am not suggesting that all of us could not research any subject and become very knowledgeable about it. We can. We have done that. It is just that, on this one, I have a long start on a lot of people. I do not disagree with the committee. My concern is that we are calling it very late in the piece.
Amendments negatived.
MS SZUTY (5.04), in reply: I am disappointed with the Opposition's response to the motion, which, as I explained in my speech, I thought was eminently reasonable. Mr Humphries mentioned the consultation which both Michael Moore and I have had with Mrs Carnell and other members of the Liberal Party over some time in developing the Bill. I must say that it has been some time. In fact, I think it has been 18 months.
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