Page 3005 - Week 10 - Thursday, 16 August 1990
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We have an increased workload following the taking on of police powers and magistrates courts, and I also believe that there is an increased workload for the members of the Executive as a result of the increased acceptance of the fact that there is a local government to which members of the community may take their objections and their complaints.
Mr Berry: On a point of order, Mr Speaker: I refer you to standing order 55. I take you back to Mr Duby's statements about the Leader of the Opposition and allegations about me. It states:
All imputations of improper motives and all personal reflections on Members shall be considered highly disorderly.
I would ask you to call on Mr Duby to withdraw those remarks.
MR SPEAKER: Mr Berry, thank you for your interpretation of the standing orders. My interpretation is that the words used, in the vein in which they were used, were not imputations that were disorderly. Please proceed, Mr Duby.
Mr Berry: Personal reflections.
MR DUBY: There was certainly no reflection upon Ms Follett's character in any way. As I said, Mr Speaker, that is the simple situation. The community is coming to realise that there is a local government here, that the workload generated by constituents' queries, et cetera, is much greater now than it was 12 months ago. There is no doubt in my mind. In addition, people have realised that they do not need to go to their Federal members, as they used to, in relation to every query; that they can now put it to their local territorial members.
Mr Wood: So you cannot handle the job; is that it?
MR DUBY: No, I am simply suggesting that the workload has increased quite dramatically. Finally, I take umbrage at this objection to costs and these continual references to snouts in the trough, et cetera. I notice that Mrs Grassby made a great effort in trying to say that somehow this was done in an effort to increase our fringe benefits or whatever. I would challenge Mrs Grassby to ask a question of the Chief Minister or me at the next sitting of the Assembly. I will get the information for her. Talk about snouts in the trough! Ask a question, Mrs Grassby, about how much money was spent on hospitality by the previous Government in seven months and how much money has been spent on the hospitality vote by this Government.
Mrs Grassby: What about Commonwealth cars?
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