Page 3010 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 5 December 1989
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Mr Wood: Did I say that?
MR HUMPHRIES: Yes, you did say that, Mr Wood - by promising him the voters' veto which is dear to his heart. Mr Wood, it will be clear to you now and to everybody else in this chamber that no such promise has been made; that Mr Stevenson's voters' veto has been no further advanced by the events of the last 12 days.
Mr Wood has also on several occasions in this chamber said that the fact that the Assembly passed the Government's budget constituted a vote of confidence in the Government. I say again, as I have said before: what is an opposition to do if it disapproves of a budget but does not wish at that time to bring the government down?
Mr Wood: No, but do so two hours later. You don't see the irony in that?
MR HUMPHRIES: Mr Wood, you claim that by voting against the Government on its budget the Opposition would be bringing the Government down - by that action moving a motion of no confidence in the Government. Yet you also say that passing the budget was a vote of no confidence in that Government.
The fact is that it is time that the ACT had a majority government, one with the political strength to tackle the many problems confronting the Territory and to set a sensible and rational agenda for the good government of this Territory for the remainder of the life of this first Assembly. I believe that my colleague Mr Kaine has the capacity to provide that government.
MR MOORE (3.46): Congratulations, Mr Kaine, on achieving a couple of major objectives. Congratulations, first of all, albeit in advance, on your pending Chief Ministership. Secondly, congratulations on removing the middle party. The threat, therefore, to the two-party system no longer exists. As Malcolm Mackerras predicted on the Pru Goward show this morning, at the next election all the votes will go to the two major parties. The idea of a community voice, a watchdog for open, consultative government, is now just a dream. There was a vision of a third political voice in this town - a vision for a voice that was principled, open and honest. That vision is now lost.
I must further congratulate Trevor on the plan that was announced at last night's Rally meeting by Mr Collaery, a plan that puts Norm Jensen and Hector Kinloch as junior Ministers under Trevor Kaine and Gary Humphries, the old divide and conquer technique. I further understand that these junior ministries will be planning, development, health and education, and a further ministry to the conservative independents. Well done! Keep them under control.
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