Page 1252 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989
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one assumes, given the warrant she has taken on her sworn oath, by any party factional issues. She will presumably make a personal decision as to whether Mr Whalan comes within the criteria I have outlined in House of Representative Practice, which, as you know, Mr Speaker, guides us both by law in the ACT (Self-Government) Act - section 24, from memory, or thereabouts - and convention. It is sad that, quite by chance, this Deputy Chief Minister has come unstuck after such a career.
MR WHALAN (Deputy Chief Minister) (3.49): Mr Speaker, I said yesterday in the Assembly, when we were debating the matter of public importance, that the Government appreciates the effective contribution which the Liberal Party and the No Self Government Party are making to the government of the ACT. We know, on this side of the chamber, that we can talk sensibly to representatives of those parties and have constructive negotiations on important issues, and we do it constantly.
If I had not been interrupted by the shortage of time yesterday, I would have gone on to say that the contribution of the Residents Rally party falls into an entirely different category. The Residents Rally party is practically impossible to deal with because it has no coherent philosophy and only a very limited degree of unanimity on a few issues. It is impossible to predict which way its members will jump on an issue, and often they jump in different directions on consecutive days. Their position on the move-on powers is a case in point. Under their maverick leader they are simply unable to take a stand on principle, because they do not have any.
Dr Kinloch: Mr Speaker, I take a point of order. I do ask that words like "maverick" not be used. That is not an appropriate parliamentary word. It implies a judgment which should not be made in those terms.
MR SPEAKER: The point of order is overruled.
MR WHALAN: Of course, we know that within the Residents Rally they have grave difficulties over the leadership issue, and there is indeed a leadership crisis which is disruptive.
Dr Kinloch: Mr Speaker, on a point of order; that is not true. I do ask that at least Mr Whalan speak the truth.
MR SPEAKER: Please proceed, Deputy Chief Minister.
MR WHALAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. In support of that, Mr Speaker, I would like to inform the Assembly that on 19 July a secret meeting was convened by Chris Donohue, the president of the Residents Rally party, and Sue Douglas, a member of the executive, both of whom of course are not members of this chamber. The purpose of that meeting was to discuss the leadership issue within the Residents Rally party, but no agreement could be reached on a replacement
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