Page 1132 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 March 1990
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lawyer, Mr Collaery would probably recognise this - that I was working on precedent and the precedent is set within our own practices. We establish our own practices by our own precedent and the precedent was set in July when Mrs Grassby sought leave and gave the grounds.
A member interjected.
MR MOORE: Mr Collaery, if you stop talking and pay attention you will understand this point. When Mrs Grassby sought leave she gave the reasons - and you can check with the minutes. All I did was look back at that precedent and include the grounds. I had no great motive, apart from that.
I accept Mr Collaery's amendment because that will achieve what I set out to do. There was no particular motive behind my wording. I am glad Mr Collaery has drawn attention to section 14 of the Self-Government Act. The arguments we have heard from Mr Duby and Mr Humphries refer to that Act and say, "Look, we are not going to sit. Don't worry. Don't bother to apply for leave".
The effect of this is that when I leave it is possible - and Mr Collaery's own motion has made it possible - for the Assembly to be recalled. There is even talk of it being recalled on Tuesday as a start; but it could be recalled while I am away. If I were not contacted or could not get back in time and there were four consecutive sitting days, the effect would be that I would be disqualified from the Assembly and that a member of the Residents Rally could then be appointed to the Assembly in my place.
Mr Humphries: That is paranoia par excellence.
MR MOORE: I am just telling you what the effect is. Anybody in my position would be sensible to seek the leave of the Assembly, and that is all I have done. I have set out to seek the leave of the Assembly. I have followed precedent and, in fact, our precedent overrides parliamentary practice. However, rather than get bogged down in that debate, I am quite happy to accept the amendment to the motion and change our own practice.
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (4.51): I rise to support Mr Collaery's amendment to this motion and also to clarify a point or two. The original motion that was moved by Mr Moore clearly asked this house to give approval to him to go overseas. That was the effect of the wording of the motion - that he was granted leave from this house for an overseas trip. I once again want it on the record that I do not support Mr Moore's departing these shores. However, I am prepared, of course, as in any normal circumstance, to grant leave to anyone who has the good manners to ask for it. The normal practice is to ask for leave for a certain period and not, by implication of the original motion, ask for endorsement of the reason for that leave. Mr Moore knows perfectly well that that was
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