Page 31 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 February 1990
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answers here for his mistakes? As we found out, it is the public servants.
Could we also look, Mr Speaker, at the cost of these Executive Deputies. We know that some of Mr Kaine's deputies thought that the extra title showed extra responsibility and deserved an extra salary - always a matter close to their hearts. I believe it is only a matter of time before greed and jealousy become too much and we see them bid publicly for more pay.
But, of course, that is not the only cost that the ACT community will bear. We look at the cost to the public service, explaining everything twice, the cost of the time and the cost of the endless reams of copied minutes and submissions to two Ministers instead of one. We look at the cost of the confusion and the changing of minds as Ministers countermand the deputies' orders, as we saw at question time today when Mr Humphries dumped Dr Kinloch right in it. We look at the extra cost of the letterhead and all the lengthy titles - a full column inch, as I have said. Think what it will cost to give each of them a suite on the fifth floor so that everybody is up there together in the bunker, so they can keep an eye on each other and continue in their now established tradition of making all decisions, such as they are, behind closed doors.
The role of Executive Deputies, Mr Speaker, has even more profound implications for the operation of this Assembly. On several occasions we have heard Mr Collaery wax lyrical about the Westminster system, and he has quoted from various authorities on it. But here we see the 10 members of this coalition tear up the most fundamental principle of that system - the principle of the separation of powers. That principle involves a strict delineation and separation of the three arms of government - the legislature, the Executive, and the judiciary. Each is meant to have a separate and a distinct identity. The Executive is meant to be responsible to the legislature, not to dictate to it.
This coalition - Mr Kaine's coalition - has turned that principle on its head. Indeed, Mr Speaker, we heard from Mr Kaine at question time today that he has a total misunderstanding of the separation of powers. He talked about moving public servants away from the Executive on the fifth floor. Of course, Mr Speaker, as I am sure you understand, the public servants are the servants of Ministers and are, therefore, a part of the executive arm of government. He has got it wrong. It is the non-ministerial members of the legislature whom Mr Kaine is moving on to the fifth floor, thus confusing even further the line between the Executive and the legislature. I know that the separation of powers got another conservative government into trouble. I would suggest that Mr Kaine really gets up to speed on it.
Now that the Executive of 10 is a majority of this Assembly, I fear, Mr Speaker, that we will see the Assembly
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