Page 665 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 5 July 1989
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orders are either suspended or not suspended. Please proceed, Mr Kaine.
MR KAINE: I would indeed not take the licence of which I am accused by my colleague opposite. My intention is to demonstrate that the thing needs to go to a select committee so that it can be properly dealt with and satisfy people that we are not attempting to railroad it through. That is exactly the purpose, and that meets the objection of the Labor Party.
MR WOOD (10.42): Mr Speaker, I will keep to the subject. I strongly oppose the suspension of standing orders to refer a matter to a select committee. Last night, Mr Speaker, as you will know, I walked out of here with you to your room, in company with three of our colleagues. What did we do? We sat down and we planned today's business. I thought that had been done against the background of earlier discussion. Are we or are we not to respect committees? That committee, in good faith, with good intentions, had planned today's private members' business, and now it is to be changed with perhaps little impact because the matter was to be discussed; it was the next item of business. So let us have some respect for the committees. You will know that I am very attached to the committee system.
Let me explain to the wider audience that, as the sole backbencher, I am on every committee. I have enjoyed that; I have appreciated that, and I value it. I also know what is happening in committees. Let me tell you there is no way in the world you are going to meet a short deadline. Every select committee so far is applying to extend the deadline for reporting. Let us do this properly. Let us appreciate the committee system.
I think it will be a unique function of this parliament. It will enable the parliament as a whole to examine a broad range of issues. I hope it will establish a consensus, a general understanding, of all the issues that come before us. Most importantly, as we see already on the committees on which we have served - Mr Stefaniak, Dr Kinloch and others such as Mr Humphries will know this - we are establishing those links to the community which are so vital for the way, I am sure, we all want this Assembly to function.
But let me tell Mr Collaery what will happen with this referral to a select committee. It will stifle the operation of committees. They are beginning to bog down because there is a random referral to committees. Some matter arises, and they say, "Let's give it to a select committee". There is no organisation in what is going to the committees.
We have staff working all hours - longer than I am, and that is long enough - on the committee business, trying to keep up with the demand. They are now at the stage where
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