Page 67 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 May 1989
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The view of the Rally is that question time is one of the more essential democratic processes of an assembly. I would remind the Assembly of the comments made by the Federal Minister in introducing the self-government legislation to the House of Representatives, when he said that the proposed legislation creates a system in the ACT that "ensures that the residents of the Territory will be properly and effectively represented in the management of their affairs".
The Minister also referred to the creation of this chamber as a milestone in the democratic processes of this country. He said in his second reading speech on the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Bill 1988 that this chamber will be unique to Australia, but this Territory - a city state - is also unique to Australia. The objective of any electoral system for a people's house is twofold - to accurately reflect the electoral wishes of the people in the composition of their government and, of great importance, to provide for stable government.
Mr Speaker, the Rally knows which way the vote will go again in this chamber. The Rally wishes to make clear to the members of the press and to the community at large in Australia that this landslide against community involvement stems from a misconception totally by the traditional parties in this chamber which believe that having government means that they can alter democratic processes.
The Rally entirely rejects a proposal to put this matter over until the afternoon if it gets on the paper. As the motion says, "provided that a vote is in progress" means that it is not necessarily to come on at 2.30; it could come on at any subsequent time subject to the business of the Assembly.
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition): Mr Speaker, I had understood that the intent of this motion was to set a fixed time of the day at which questions would normally be dealt with, which would allow the media to be here so that the matters raised could be reported to the community. I did not see behind it the kind of subterfuge that Mr Collaery is implying, but I am perfectly happy, and perhaps the mover of this motion is perfectly happy, that we define another time of the day - perhaps 11.30 in the morning or some other specific time - so that the media knows when question time will be conducted and so that they can be here if they so wish and can report the proceedings of those matters to the public.
So, if suspension of standing orders is agreed to and if we proceed to discuss the matter, I foreshadow that I will move an amendment that sets a different time of the day that will allow the media to be here.
Mr Moore: We are moving a substantive motion now.
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