Page 1135 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 March 1990
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It is extremely disappointing to stand here today in the face of opposition to what is really, I suspect, a long-standing custom that governments do not walk away from responses to such significant statements, as the one that has been delivered this evening by the Chief Minister. I do not think I am using too strong a word when I say that I think it would be rather cowardly to walk away from the opportunity to give the Leader of the Opposition the chance to respond to that strategy statement.
I am quite confident, Mr Speaker, that the community at large will be interested in the Opposition's response. The people are entitled to hear the Leader of the Opposition's response to this budget strategy statement because of the impact that the decisions of the Government will have on the ACT community generally.
At the risk of being accused of being repetitive, I stress that this is an important issue for the community. It is a matter of plain courtesy that the Leader of the Opposition be allowed to respond to the Chief Minister's budget strategy statement or similar types of statements. It is unfortunate that there are no sittings programmed. We would like to be sitting next week and we have made that very clear. We would like to have question time next week, but we would not die in a ditch to have question time and normal sittings. If the Government will not allow us to respond to the Chief Minister's budget strategy statement, it should at least allow the Leader of the Opposition to respond.
MR COLLAERY (Deputy Chief Minister) (5.01): Mr Speaker, I think there is a very easy answer to this. If the Leader of the Opposition would rise to her feet and give, in unequivocal terms, the assurances sought by the Chief Minister in his letter, then certainly we will agree to the house adjourning to Tuesday, 3 April. If amending the motion that is already on the notice paper is necessary to achieve that, I will get one of my colleagues to do that. Let us make this point clear: it was my colleague the Chief Minister who decided to make this offer. He consulted me and said to me, "I believe I should give Ms Follett the chance to respond, sooner rather than later".
I might add, Mr Speaker, that some of us have other engagements for that day. I certainly intended to be in Melbourne, but I agreed with the Chief Minister that this was a proper courtesy to offer. He communicated with the Leader of the Opposition. I do not propose to table this correspondence - - -
Ms Follett: I do, I do.
MR COLLAERY: You do?
Ms Follett: Yes, I do.
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