Page 1343 - Week 05 - Thursday, 26 April 1990
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Paul, I wish you well in your new and exciting life. I am sure you will not be very far from this Assembly in the work that you do. I know all people on this side of the house want you to have the best possible outcome from your resignation.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts), by leave: Mr Speaker, I also acknowledge Mr Whalan's important role in the bringing of self-government to the ACT. I acknowledge the remarks made earlier - I think, by Mr Kaine - that Mr Whalan's commitment to self-government is not merely based on self-interest. It is not one that is directed to any narrow party advantage. It is a long-term, very sincere and very profound dedication to self-government, and I know that because of my own role in that period which he described as a negotiating period but which is probably better described as a conception period. He has indicated to some extent the difficulties in obtaining that conception. From my own point of view, as I was at that time advising the shadow Minister for the ACT, Senator Vanstone, on matters dealing with the ACT, I was acutely aware of the potentials for coitus interruptus that presented themselves at all stages during those negotiations.
He referred to stories about that period. A story that I will probably relate if I am asked by a biographer is about the day that Senator Vanstone went to the shadow Cabinet with her submission on the response of the shadow parties to the Punch proposal for self-government. I had had long discussions with Senator Vanstone and I have to say that I do not think that her position, as she took it to shadow Cabinet, was really what I would have liked to have taken had I been in her shoes. Nonetheless, she went there with that submission, which was not favourably disposed towards the Punch proposal. Shortly after she left I was sitting in her office thinking that things had not gone very well when the telephone rang. It was Gary Punch. He said, "Is Amanda there?", and I said, "No, she's not. She's left for shadow Cabinet". He said, "Well, has she got everything ready? Is she ready for her submission? Do you think she'll be all right?". He, I think, had some misconception as to what she was going to shadow Cabinet to argue for. I said, "Yes, I think she's all right, and I think she's ready, and I think she'll be successful". He said, "Well, if you see her, wish her luck", and I said, "Yes, I'll do that, Minister". I never saw her before she came back, so in a sense it is probably just as well that I never got to wish her luck.
Nonetheless, circumstances changed. Senator Vanstone ceased to be shadow Minister and somebody else became shadow Minister. Of course, her transition from shadow Minister to the back bench is typical of the very great rotation of personalities that occurred during that period. There were a great many people on either side involved with this process and in that sense it is very hard to identify
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