Page 68 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 24 May 1989
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MR KAINE: I propose the following amendment:
Omit "2.30 pm", substitute "11.30 am".
MS FOLLETT: I would just like to speak briefly on this motion, if I may, and to make it quite clear that the intention of the Deputy Chief Minister's motion is merely in order to institute a regular time for question time to occur. With respect to the Leader of the Opposition's amendment, that cannot occur if we make the time 11.30 am because that would not be suitable on the day when we do not meet in the morning.
So, it is merely an attempt to try to regularise question time. I believe it can accommodate the requirements of the media and really it is an attempt to impose some certainty on to the proceedings of the Assembly. It is certainly in no way meant as a disruption of the democratic process. I think it is anything but that, and I find it quite an insult to this whole Assembly that it should be portrayed as such. It is merely an attempt to regularise the business, to impose some certainty on when question time is held, so that members can be ready with their questions and hopefully will be able to fill up a whole half hour of question time which they were not able to do yesterday.
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, in view of the uncertainty of the intent and purpose of my amendment, I seek leave to withdraw it and leave it to somebody else to make a more suitable proposal.
MR SPEAKER: Leave is granted.
MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, we have consulted the media to try to get their opinion. It seems that they are actually quite capable of writing in their diaries the times of 2.30 on a Tuesday and 10.30 on a Wednesday and a Thursday. I do not perceive that the members to whom I spoke will have any difficulty with that and I think there is quite a reasonable certainty about having question time directly after prayers. I see no reason whatsoever for the sorts of arguments that the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister put forward. We attempted to use the appropriate method set out in the standing orders to give us a little more time to discuss it by adjournment, but this Assembly decided not to do that. I really believe that the way standing orders stand at the moment, with question time following prayers, is quite suitable for us and the media and that we ought to have no change.
Mr Kaine: You will have to put a motion forward to that effect.
MR MOORE: No. If we vote against this motion that achieves that.
MR WOOD: Mr Speaker, I do not think there is anything unusual or threatening about changing the standing orders.
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