Page 1145 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 March 1990
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when challenged they have not even put up a particularly spirited defence of them.
The No Self Government people, of course, Mr Speaker, are an aberration in themselves. They have, on their own admission, abandoned the policies upon which they stood for election to this Assembly. They disbanded their party and I have no idea what their erstwhile supporters might be making of their current stance.
That brings me to a further point in relation to both the Residents Rally and the No Self Government Party. I would like to place it on record that as an ardent follower of the Marion Frith column, I was extremely disturbed to note that there had been a telephone box reporting missing from a private house. On the Tuesday it was reported missing and we were told on the Wednesday that the Residents Rally had a meeting. I leave it to the Assembly to draw their conclusions on these shameful facts.
MR STEFANIAK (5.36): In fact, I would ask Mr Collaery to take the telephone box out of my back yard because it clutters up the place with the scrum machine as well!
I would like to take Ms Follett to task on some of the points she has raised. The Opposition this week has made great play of the lack of government business, but I cannot think of any day in the last two weeks when we have got through the entire daily program - this little green sheet that is issued - not once, Mr Speaker.
Ms Follett: Because of your tedious speeches.
Mrs Grassby: Yes, tedious speeches on nothing - even on reports that you did not write.
MR STEFANIAK: Oh, tedious speeches, is it? Are you saying that you people did not make tedious speeches in the seven months that you were in Government, either! I think it is a complete hypocrisy by the Opposition to say that the Government has been wasting time and that there has been no business. We have not finished the daily program any day. There is stuff on the notice paper that we have not completed. Indeed, in these last two weeks a number of Bills have been introduced. My colleague Mr Duby just introduced three.
Mrs Grassby: Three today, that is all.
MR STEFANIAK: We have passed a few, Mrs Grassby, during the course of the two weeks. Let me also point out that two incredibly significant events occurred in these sittings which will have great bearing on the citizens of Canberra for the next decade plus - the health statement by Mr Humphries and the Chief Minister's budget strategy, brought down today. Both of those statements have been brought down in the last week. If that is not putting productive, relevant business before the house I really do
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