Page 513 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 28 June 1989
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Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to.
NATURE CONSERVATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1989
Detail Stage
Consideration resumed from 27 June 1989.
Clause 5 (Amendment of heading).
MR WHALAN (Deputy Chief Minister) (4.02): Mr Speaker, I will speak only very briefly in this matter. I would just like to comment on the processes that the Assembly and the Government have adopted in relation to legislation. The Government's aim in dealing with legislation of the sort that we have before us today is, wherever possible and practicable, to brief all members of the Assembly so that an opportunity for discussing the details of the legislation with the officers who have been involved in drafting the legislation is available to all members.
This is a recognition of the nature of the minority Government that it accepts the reality of that situation, and it is an endeavour on the part of the Government to ensure that all members are fully briefed and have the opportunity to have an input into the legislation. An example of that was the Vocational Training Authority legislation which went through yesterday. Members were invited to briefings on that particular matter.
Mr Humphries: While committees were sitting, so some of them could not go.
MR WHALAN: I am sorry, but we will seek to accommodate and if that is a problem we will seek to get convenient times. It is not - and similarly in relation to the - - -
Mr Humphries: That is news to me. I was not told of any other time. The first briefing I had was yesterday on a Bill of the Minister's.
MR WHALAN: On the environmental legislation which we have before us my colleague made available briefings quite some time ago, some weeks ago, in relation to that, and we were faced with a situation where quite late an amendment came forward in relation to the penalties. What I am saying is that I believe that what happened last night is an effective part of the process of the legislation. Amendments were perceived as being necessary and, as a result of negotiation between all of the groupings within the Assembly, an arrangement acceptable to all the parties was arrived at.
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