Page 1980 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 24 October 1989
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I rise to support the motion and draw attention to a couple of comments that were made. My colleague Mr Jensen has drawn attention to the Optometrists (Amendment) Bill, so I shall not pursue that further. I will point out a similar example of the NRMA not having been involved in relation to another Bill that was brought up, which directly affected the insurance industry but which it would not have been inclined to look at. Similarly, the peak insurance group was not consulted on that. But that consultation process needs to go on, so we need to ensure that there is enough time.
I believe that the Government has made some attempts to improve the situation, and it has improved, but we still need a full legislative program so that we can ensure that we have enough time to read these Bills carefully and to seek advice on them.
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister) (5.04): Mr Speaker, very briefly I would really like to point out to the Assembly that there are some 11 Bills on the notice paper at the moment and that they have all been there for at least a month. At the rate that the Assembly is proceeding with these items of business I imagine it is going to take us until the next election to deal with them. I am outraged that opposition members are requesting further advice about a government legislative program when they have 11 Bills to deal with already.
I advised them last week of several other items that the Government will be bringing forward, including a range of revenue matters. But, Mr Speaker, my point in rising at all is simply to say that they have failed so far to come to grips with the items that are before them, although they have had a month in which to do so.
Mr Humphries: Because there has not been time, because you did not give us advance notice. It was a time with estimates in it.
MS FOLLETT: I repeat that these items were presented on 28 September; that is the most recent one. The LA(MS) Bill, the Legislative Assembly (Members' Staff) Bill, was presented on 27 July. Mr Speaker, the opposition members' point that they have not had time to study these matters is quite simply ridiculous. I believe that they will keep trying to put them off in the hope that it will all go away. It will not.
These are extremely important matters. These are very important matters on which sooner or later they are going to have to inform themselves and form a view. Mr Speaker, the Government has done everything in its power to ensure that they are as informed as we can make them. We have offered them every assistance available, yet we still find that they are not coming to grips with it. We have heard from Dr Kinloch now that he does not really want to have to vote on the Payroll Tax (Amendment) Bill in the foreseeable
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