Page 1146 - Week 04 - Thursday, 29 March 1990
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not know what is. I think it is a nonsense to say that this Government has not put matters before the house. In fact, we sat until about 11.40 pm on the Tuesday night - the latest we have ever sat. We have more than used up all the time in these two weeks' sittings, yet we still have matters left on the notice paper and each day we have had matters left on the daily program, so the allegation is a complete nonsense. In fact, I think that members of the Opposition might start complaining soon about too much work when the vast numbers of Bills which are in the pipeline - - -
Mr Kaine: If they ever start work on any of the committees, they will know what work is.
MR STEFANIAK: Well, it will be good to see that when it happens, Chief Minister. It is really pleasing to see that at last - in fact, it is probably a high water mark of this year that the Opposition at last has nominated people for committees. At least the committee system can get up off the ground and start working. It will be interesting to see what Opposition members say when the vast numbers of Bills in the pipeline come flooding through into this Assembly. I can see this Assembly working very hard indeed when that happens.
Mrs Grassby: We are waiting.
MR STEFANIAK: You might be waiting. You will be flooded. Indeed, during the last two weeks the Opposition spent a lot of time nitpicking, raising spurious points of order and raising censure motions. Indeed, in the last two weeks one of their number not only was sin-binned, but he turned up again and you sent him off, Mr Speaker. I think a lot of time has been wasted.
The former Chief Minister and now Leader of the Opposition complains about dorothy dix questions. Fortunately, when she was in government she only had poor old Bill Wood to do that - and did he not give a lot of dorothy dixers? Again, that is hypocrisy to complain about dorothy dixers from the now Government. As a Government backbencher I have been very pleased to note the brevity of reply by the Government Ministers. I can recall Mr Whalan especially, and several other former Ministers of the now Opposition, giving lengthy answers to questions from the then Opposition. Some of them clearly exceeded five minutes.
Mr Duby: I can recall one word answers. I can recall "Yes" and "No".
MR STEFANIAK: That is right; there have been a few of those now though, Mr Duby, have there not? The answers given by the Government Ministers have been quite brief - - -
Mr Kaine: And they give tender advice to the dorothy dixers.
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