Page 1598 - Week 06 - Thursday, 3 May 1990
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MR SPEAKER: Order! Please get to the question.
MR KAINE: I am simply trying to outline, Mr Speaker, for the edification of the Leader of the Opposition and for Mr Berry who clearly does not understand what I am trying to say or does not want to hear it, the proposal put forward by the Attorney-General, as I understand it. It was, in my view, a very sensible proposal to allow the courts to be restructured in such a way - - -
Ms Follett: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; the question was: does the Chief Minister retain confidence in his deputy? It was not: what was the proposal? Under standing order 118 he must be required to stick to the subject of the question.
MR SPEAKER: Please proceed.
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I have already said that, yes, the Attorney-General retains my confidence - - -
Ms Follett: That is all I needed to know.
MR KAINE: And I am explaining why that is so. The clear implication of the question was that there was some reason why he should not retain my confidence. If the question was genuine and they really want an answer to it, they should be prepared to hear why my confidence in the Attorney-General continues. But, of course, they would not want to hear that because, amongst other things, it would show up the fact that for seven months they did nothing about the courts. They did nothing to prepare for the transition. They were prepared to accept the system as it currently exists. The fact that it was failing this community, it could not handle the workload and there was grave concern within the legal system as to the present operations of the court system did not matter.
Mr Berry: The question of relevance arises again, Mr Speaker.
MR SPEAKER: Yes, I uphold your objection there, Mr Berry. Please get to the point, Chief Minister.
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I think I have just about made the point that Mr Collaery, in his capacity of Attorney-General, was honestly and genuinely attacking the question of producing a court system that would work in the interests of this community. Since that was his objective - and he has been headed off at the pass for reasons that have nothing to do - - -
Mr Berry: Mr Speaker, again I raise standing order 118. He said five minutes ago that he had confidence in the Attorney-General. He should have sat down.
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