Page 1181 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 22 August 1989
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DR KINLOCH (5.21): Very quickly, in relation to Mr Stevenson's comment, I would say a farewell to the Hesketh and Chamberlain family. We enjoyed the presence on the first floor of John, Trudy and Jason. We are very sorry indeed to see them go and I hope between us all we can reinstate Dennis Stevenson's 1.5 staff members as quickly as possible.
Now I move on to a couple of examples that my friend and colleague Mr Collaery referred to. I was distressed the other day at the Floriade breakfast. It was a delightful occasion. We all enjoyed it. It was really a good occasion and well put together on a cold, foggy morning, beautifully arranged by the public relations people who did it, but I did truly object to the speech by Anthony Steel effectively being turned into an ALP media release. I felt that it was not called for. I felt he demeaned himself before that audience. I was looking forward to hearing him. That was one reason I went - to hear him - and I hope if he is brought to Canberra again he will give a much more bipartisan, or quintipartisan, or non-partisan reaction to the commitment we all have to the arts. So I would ask that whatever group is in government - I am not speaking to any one group; but whichever group it is - does see its role as a multipartisan role on many issues.
I could go on about that. There are many examples. Mr Duby has given some other excellent ones. Might I suggest, Mr Duby, that your speech was an excellent summary of the 100 days and it deserves an oral press release. It was most enjoyable. Things like completion of road works and announcements of grants do not call for some self-congratulatory media release.
Might I, by contrast, very quickly say that one occasion we all went to - a citizenship ceremony - was non-partisan. That was beautifully done. It was not a party occasion. I think the Red Nose Day launch was very similar.
Now I return to the 100 days. May I first of all say I quite enjoy the notion of evaluating activities after 100 days, a political tradition much loved not only by many politicians but of course by journalists and historians; and I bow in that direction. Some of us have enjoyed writing articles of that kind over many years and may we all look forward to similar judgments after 250, 500 and 1,000 days, leading up to that most crucial public assessment in February 1992, and that will be the one that counts.
But may I worry about the concentration of this 100-day analysis on the activities of the minority ALP Government, sometimes known as the Katharine West party. I believe that the Chief Minister should concentrate on being proud - indeed as all of us should be proud, as all Canberrans should be proud - not of the ALP but of the activities of this entire Assembly over 100 days.
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