Page 2008 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 5 June 1990
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MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, I maintain my point that we are yet to see the Government introduce these important pieces of legislation. On this side of the house we will always support progressive environmental policies and statements. We do not want to turn the environment into a political battleground, but actions always speak louder than words, and there has been very little action so far from the current Government to protect the ACT's environment.
Mr Speaker, we do have the Alliance's policy and we now have their strategy but, while we have an environment Minister who has been unable to answer a single question on the environment and is even unable to name a single greenhouse gas, my colleagues and I will continue to fear for the ACT's unique environment.
Debate (on motion by Mr Jensen) adjourned.
APPOINTMENT OF AN ACT AUDITOR-GENERAL
MR KAINE (Chief Minister): Mr Speaker, I ask leave of the Assembly to make a ministerial statement.
Leave not granted.
Suspension of Standing and Temporary Orders
Motion (by Mr Kaine) proposed:
That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent Mr Kaine making a ministerial statement on the appointment of an ACT Auditor-General.
MR BERRY (3.27): I would like to put the Government on notice that, in future, when clear notice is not given to the Opposition of matters which are going to be raised as ministerial statements, then leave will not automatically be granted. The reason for this is that the Government is obviously struggling in its performance in this house and, of course, it has sought on a number of occasions to fill the business paper with sometimes meaningless statements.
Mr Speaker, the appointment of the Auditor-General is not the issue in question. The issue in question is whether or not the Government has the common decency to inform the Opposition of what it intends to do by ministerial statements, as is the practice in other places and in particular in the Federal Parliament. Mr Speaker, this is a government that operates by misrepresentation. It operates by stealth and it operates by duplicity.
Mr Kaine: On a point of order, Mr Speaker; I understand that this debate is on the question of the suspension of
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