Page 3034 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 5 December 1989
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
are to be fairly represented and for people to have a say in what happens to their lives and the lives of their families.
If there is control of the Government by the numbers, as it is said, that does not allow people to act according to their conscience. Many years ago I first heard the suggestion in government of a conscience vote, and I wondered about that. I thought, "What on earth is a conscience vote? How could you have one of those things? Do elected representatives - politicians - not vote according to their conscience all the time?". Well, it would appear not. Only occasionally are men and women in parliament allowed to vote according to the way they feel they should, and that is sad.
We have had votes in this Assembly on fluoride. Unfortunately, people were not allowed to vote according to their conscience. We have had a vote in this Assembly on the pornography tax, and unfortunately people were not allowed to vote according to their conscience. I encourage people in this Assembly to work together and vote according to their conscience. Let us give the people of Canberra a say in what happens to them. (Extension of time granted)
Voters' veto is democracy in action. It will come. It will come sooner or it will come a little bit later.
Mr Berry: Not before Christmas.
MR STEVENSON: I was hopeful.
Mrs Grassby: You won't get that as a present.
MR STEVENSON: It was actually a present for the people of Canberra, and it would have been nice if, in this year of what is called self-government, they could have had a present like that. But it will come. Sooner or later one of the parties or groupings is going to realise that it makes good sense, because the first party that does it will be able forever to say, "We were the first party to give you a say. How can you not like us? You have a say on any matter you wish. Do not complain to us; use your right - use your veto - or use your left, if that is the case".
This is all people want. They do not want to vote on how wide the roads are, or what colour the schools are, or any one of a million other things that pass through this Assembly. Most people do not know most of the things we vote on. Sometimes I wish they did. But they do want a say on occasional issues. In the last five years there might have been five or six issues that people would have liked to talk on - certainly self-government, perhaps the casino, perhaps pornography, I am not sure, but that should be up to the people. The people should be able, by way of petition, to request and compel the Government to give them a say which would be binding.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .