Page 2392 - Week 11 - Thursday, 2 November 1989
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Now, let us have a look at how the mention of consultants came up in the first place. What happened was that my party was not allowed the average number of staff members, which is one and a half, and as an interim measure only I hired a consultancy. I was fortunate enough to get the use of three people for less than the price of one because of superannuation and various other things. Now, if that is not an eminently sensible idea, then I find it hard to know what is. Certainly, that covered the normal office functions, but it also covered certain consultancy functions. There is no doubt about that. I never hid any of these things. It was done purely and simply because the Chief Minister at that time had not allowed that which was allowed at a later time at the request of this Assembly.
I have never been shown to be personally interested in things other than serving the electorate. Members here well know my views on the expenditure of moneys and the frugality with which I personally operate. When I tried to get the matter handled by the Chief Minister, unfortunately there were many delays, and that did not help any amicability, if I could call it that, in getting it finalised.
I put in any number of letters and had two meetings, all to no avail. I submitted one letter, then finally, after a month, I asked someone to go upstairs and make a sort of a physical point of view about what had happened. That person was told that the letter had certainly come in - it was remembered - but it had been lost. Now, one would have thought at that time that, having made that apology, the Chief Minister would do something. But, no, nothing was done. This sort of thing has gone on for some time and we now have a situation where the Chief Minister, in the final defence, if I could say that, is prepared to suggest that now not even the Ministers will use consultants. I suggest that this is not a situation where sense has prevailed. (Extension of time granted)
I believe that the Chief Minister had other concerns about members in this Assembly, particularly me, using consultants. I do not think it was a practical viewpoint at all; I think it was more of a political party viewpoint, and that is unfortunate. Initially, I had never considered hiring a consultant. I think the irony of it is that it was only the Chief Minister's actions and the resulting inaction that got me to look at the value to our Assembly of all members having the right to use consultants for the purposes I mentioned.
I absolutely agree with Mr Duby - and this should be noted. As Mr Duby mentioned in an earlier speech, consultants should not start at 8 o'clock or 9 o'clock in the morning, work till 12.30, take off for lunch and finish at 5 o'clock, five days a week. That is not a consultant. It is an ongoing situation. Basically it is a staff member.
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