Page 2991 - Week 10 - Thursday, 16 August 1990
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number of instances in relation to the portfolio that I shadow particularly cover that. The best example is Mr Collaery's statements on the detention centre which was going to take the place of a mental health facility. It was, then it was not; it was, then it was not; and I think now it is not, but perhaps it is. You just never know. Decisions are not being taken. Things are being put on the back-burner. The ministry is just not prepared to explain to the community its decisions on the long drawn out exercise of school closures or, in other cases, to take decisions.
This Territory can be adequately governed by four Ministers. It was adequately governed by four Ministers under the Follett Government. It is inadequately being governed by four Ministers now. But I am sure it will be equally inadequately governed by six or seven Ministers. Why not adopt the approach of every player wins a prize.? We have heard no real, sensible justification for this expansion of the ministry in terms of public administration, so we are left to surmise that there is a political reason for it.
We see, to our amusement, constant changes in party affiliations in this house. The people of Canberra who voted No Self Government were, I think, somewhat concerned when their No Self Government vote turned itself into an independent vote in the ministry, and now we are seeing it turn itself into a Liberal Party vote. That is the sort of approach that the community regards with contempt. To top that off by creating an extra couple of ministerial positions is the ultimate in cynicism.
The Government is not unaware of the cynical manner in which this decision will be received by the Canberra community. Mr Kaine certainly is not. He has publicly indicated that it is perhaps not the time for this decision - and how correct he is on that. Presumably the ambitions of those who sit alongside him or behind him overrode his cautious approach on that.
Mr Wood: It stops the brawls.
MR CONNOLLY: That is right. Now is the time, in the view of those on the backbench who aspire to a ministry. Yet they realise that the community will be outraged. They realise that, at a time of school closures and hospital slashing, two more Ministers will go down in the community like a lead balloon. How right they are! So how do they justify it? They could attempt a reasoned case to explain the need for two more ministries. But presenting a reasoned case with all the facts on the table has never been the style of this Government - certainly not in the education debate. So we forget about the reasoned approach.
The alternative tactic is to try to suggest to the community, "This really is not going to cost you anything,
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