Page 47 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 13 February 1990
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Mr Wood: Well, what are the powers that they are sharing; can you tell me that?
MR COLLAERY: If the members opposite had taken the time to look at the House of Representatives Practice, second edition, pages 106 through to 110, there is a full explanation there. It is supported by your own Labor Party and describes, from time to time over the years in Federal Parliament, the concept of assisted ministers, under secretaries and the like. This is a furphy. You have spent an afternoon wasting the time of this house on a matter which is not in the public domain; it is not causing alarm; there is no great matter of public interest - - -
Mr Wood: It is causing public confusion.
MR COLLAERY: It is causing confusion only in the minds of those too frightened to get involved with innovation and attempts to involve this Assembly in governing the polity here with the best minds available and without excluding people.
On the subject of exclusion, I note that member Wood was secretary to the ALP Cabinet; he was privy to those decisions of Cabinet whilst he was an Executive Deputy. I can assure the Assembly that no Executive Deputy has been present at any Cabinet meeting of this Government, nor is it foreshadowed that they will be. I can further assure the house that the Cabinet agenda is not circulated amongst the Executive Deputies. There is a clear concept that the Ministers will exercise the powers that only they have under section 43 of the Self-Government Act.
I want to put to rest a couple of other things. There was a suggestion by Mr Whalan in relation to Mr Bill Harris that there was a move from the fifth floor because of errors or because of a reflection on the public service. There was no such thing. There is an arrangement to give the people of the ACT better government - innovative government, creative government, with everyone contributing. It is sad that your first MPI in Opposition should be so trifling - that it should trifle with issues of this nature when you could have put down matters of substance for debate this afternoon.
It was further suggested that Mr Stefaniak has somehow exceeded some power because he signed some - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Collaery! Time for this discussion has expired.
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