Page 10 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 May 1989
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surprise that this matter had sort of come up in this particular way. Secondly, he referred to machine politics. Both matters are concerned with the Australian Labor Party's relationship with the Residents Rally.
For several weeks now the Austalian Labor Party has been in extensive and detailed negotiations with the Residents Rally in an endeavour to meet our commitment to stable government in the Australian Capital Territory. As recently as lunchtime yesterday we had essentially reached agreement with the Residents Rally on an arrangement which would have allowed for an alliance or a coalition between the Residents Rally and the Australian Labor Party. The administrative committee of the Australian Labor Party was called together to endorse that proposal and the proposal included detailed discussions on the casino issue. We reached agreement on the casino issue and indicated that the proposal put forward by the Residents Rally was acceptable as the basis of a proposition to be put to our administrative committee. We reached agreement on a range of ministerial responsibilities and fair portfolios within that coalition.
Subsequently, the Australian Labor Party was called to a meeting with the Residents Rally and the Residents Rally notified the Australian Labor Party that it had been instructed by its executive to break off negotiations with the Labor Party and to enter into no arrangement with the Labor Party. The faceless men and women of its administrative organisation, its executive, instructed its democratically elected members how they should behave in their relationships in this place. Manipulation of elected representatives by these outsiders is totally unacceptable. It worries me that that will be the pattern from now on, that that will be the way in which the Residents Rally will conduct its affairs in this Assembly.
During these negotiations with the Residents Rally last Monday the present Chief Minister, Rosemary Follett, raised with the Residents Rally this very proposal. It was handed to Mr Collaery before one of the meetings which we held with the Residents Rally and at the meeting Mr Collaery said, "We have no problems with this proposal" - his very words. So Mr Collaery was on notice about this matter and he agreed to the proposal in the negotiations that we were conducting. Since then he has raised no objection to it whatsoever. The Australian Labor Party will not be participating in this election because we do believe that it is appropriate that only members who are not part of the government should participate in this sort of a ballot.
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