Page 3118 - Week 14 - Thursday, 7 December 1989
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validity of the arguments in favour of that particular project.
He recognises, Mr Speaker, that the construction industry in the Australian Capital Territory has reached a point where major jobs have now been completed. The last big one was section 38. That was the last major construction job here in Canberra. It has now been completed, and it is desperate that we have on line a construction project of sufficient size to provide continuing employment and continuity of employment to sustain the building industry.
The building industry is our second largest employer in the private sector. It should be an ongoing industry. It will change its location, Mr Speaker, from place to place and from time to time, but what we should be aiming for is an industry which - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Whalan, you are debating issues that are before the house. I believe you really should be debating your amendment.
MR WHALAN: Yes, the amendment plus the motion, if that is permitted. Can I speak to the motion as well?
MR SPEAKER: You certainly can. The point is that you are really debating other business that is before this house.
MR WHALAN: The point is, Mr Speaker, if we carry this adjournment and we are sort of swept out of here, we will be denied the opportunity to debate these other issues of considerable importance. The argument that there should be a different pattern of sitting, that 14 days was given to the Government on 11 May, is not valid. That is not a legitimate argument because, as I am in the process of pointing out, Mr Speaker, on this business paper there are eight pages of business that can be conducted. There is no reason for us to scuttle away and hide.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Whalan, you are now repeating those same points. I would ask you now to make a concluding statement.
MR WHALAN: Mr Speaker, I am concerned about the adjournment and the virtual abolition of this Assembly. You know, Dennis Stevenson - Mr Stevenson - from the Abolish Self Government Coalition, of course, has achieved his objective in a very subtle sort of way because the Assembly will still exist in name but it will never meet. It will be there in name. So Dennis - Mr Stevenson - will have had a great victory.
Mr Stevenson will have achieved his objective, because the Assembly will never meet. It will meet once every two months to meet the statutory requirement and that will be it. But there will never be an opportunity for those of us who are concerned about - - -
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