Page 663 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 21 March 1990
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One comment that can be made in favour of Mr Duby is that at least he has stuck by his election platform. His total inaction as a Minister is a clear indication that he still opposes self-government or, what I think is more the case, he simply opposes the sort of self-discipline that leads to some kind of productive work. The record shows that this is a government of hollow words, confusion and inaction. It is a lazy government with stolen achievements and no vision, which is demonstrated by the fact that its policies are made up as it goes along. It is really interested in only the perks of office, and it has had a little disappointment in respect of that lately.
It is a government which, Canberrans are learning to their cost, is a very sad mistake for our Territory. What Canberra needs is a government which cares about Canberra and puts the people first, which has a vision for a socially just ACT and which is united and not afraid of hard work. What we need is a Labor government.
MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General) (4.08): We got the message in the last few words, Mr Speaker. This is an election speech, but the former Chief Minister has till 1992 to compose that more adequately. I assure you that, by then, our list of achievements will be much longer than the current one.
I will take the subject seriously. I suppose it was put on with some levity by the Opposition, but let us take it seriously. I will make a couple of points first. There was a reference to 16 sitting days of Labor against, I believe, nine of this Government. The records show that we had the summer vacation, and we heard no applications from the other benches to sit over Christmas and New Year. Be that as it may, during those 16 sitting days the Labor Government took five sitting evenings off. I think the records show that, but a report on ABC radio this morning suggested that there was something unusual about the alterations last evening.
The real issue that I think we should tell the Canberra people, who might be becoming perturbed about some of the statements that are coming from the Opposition, in terms of whether self-government is working is that the first thing you will notice is that we laugh a lot together; we enjoy each other's company, and we are a team, and that is the most pleasant and surprising aspect of the Alliance Government.
Mr Wood: What is surprising about it? You never expected it?
Mrs Grassby: Not surprised? Birds of a feather flock together.
MR COLLAERY: Each to his or her own. We are working; we work long hours and days and weekends, but certainly we have a good working relationship. A lack of
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