Page 34 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 May 1989
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MR COLLAERY (3.14): I would like to address the Chief Minister and say that the Residents Rally accepts that she went to a Loan Council and Premiers Conference with about three days' notice. The Rally, from its inquiries and observations, believes that the Chief Minister acquitted herself very creditably. It was a credit to the ACT that a woman was there amongst a group of men, and the Rally was pleased to see the Chief Minister there. We expect that if she is to go to another Premiers Conference she will have better advice, which clearly she now has, because as members will be aware it was the ALP that during the election campaign, predicted a surplus.
There was a $20m or $30m surplus dreamed up by the ALP's advisers. It is very pleasing to see that the Chief Minister now has better advice from the ACT Treasury and we are getting a realistic perception, but I submit to the Assembly that one of the prime reasons why the Commonwealth, as my colleague Mr Kaine said, reneged on its promises was the time bomb that the ALP planted during the election campaign in claiming there was a surplus on our hands.
Question resolved in affirmative.
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION: ELECTION
Discussion of Matter of Public Importance
MR SPEAKER: I have received letters from Mr Collaery and Mr Humphries both proposing that definite matters of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion. In accordance with standing order 79 I have determined that the matter proposed by Mr Collaery be submitted to the Assembly, namely:
The actions of the Executive in relation to the election of the Leader of the Opposition.
Mr Stefaniak: I raise a point of order before you start, Mr Speaker. The point of order is that this is a matter of public importance and this matter was debated at the first meeting of this Assembly. There was a motion passed, by 13 votes to four, I think, in relation to taking a vote for Leader of the Opposition. The vote was then taken, and I forget the actual score on that count but the Leader of the Opposition was in fact elected.
Secondly, Mr Collaery has also asked for a definitive legal opinion on this point and I think that might also preclude this matter he seeks to raise being a matter of actual public importance. I think we should move on to Mr Humphries' matter.
MR SPEAKER: I believe that that is not so. I ask Mr Collaery to proceed.
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