Page 1904 - Week 09 - Thursday, 19 October 1989
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Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; are we listening - - -
MR SPEAKER: One point of order at a time, please, Mr Kaine. Complete your point of order, Chief Minister.
Ms Follett: Mr Speaker, Mr Humphries is debating this matter when he is supposed to be making a statement.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Chief Minister, I cannot see how one person can debate it. He is making a statement. Please proceed, Mr Humphries.
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Speaker, what the Government proposes to put forward is not a legislative program. I want to remind the Government of one thing. The Chief Minister talks at great length in this place and elsewhere about the principles of consultation - how important it is for people to be talking about issues in this place, to be talking about proposals the Government might have to make. She forgets that it is not only the Government that needs to consult; it is also the other parties in this place. It is also the Liberal Party, the Residents Rally, the No Self Government Party and the Abolish Self Government Coalition. All those parties need and have a right to consult about legislation coming before this place.
Some Bills have been introduced with minimal notice - in fact, with no notice - in this place. We have been expected in short periods to debate those Bills. There was one Bill, Minister, that we debated within 48 hours of its introduction. Do not tell me it does not happen. It does happen, and we are expected in some fashion to consult our constituents and our communities about those Bills. It is simply not good enough. We are entitled to more notice. We are entitled to have some idea of what this Government plans, if it has any plans.
The Minister comes into this place and says "Well, I'll give you a rough idea of what we are going to do. I have got four particular Bills in mind, but there will be other Bills. We do not know what they are at this stage, but we will bring them forward when the time comes". That is a disgrace, it is unacceptable, and I ask the Chief Minister to change her policy now. It is simply not appropriate.
Three weeks ago the Government introduced two Bills, the Optometrists (Amendment) Bill and the Trustee Companies (Amendment) Bill. Both Bills were due to be debated this week in this place but they have been put off by arrangement between the parties because there has not been time for the parties in this place to sit down and talk to people concerned about those Bills. It transpires from discussions that the Government has not arranged any consultation between itself and the Australian Optometrical Association with respect to the optometrists Bill - an extraordinary omission. Yet, if the Government does not do
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