Page 3372 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 18 September 1990
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MR SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr Berry. It is like the pot calling the kettle black, there.
Debate interrupted.
ADJOURNMENT
MR SPEAKER: It being 9.30 pm, I propose the question:
That the Assembly do now adjourn.
Mr Collaery: Mr Speaker, I require the question to be put forthwith without debate.
Question resolved in the negative.
ESTIMATES COMMITTEE
Appointment
Debate resumed.
MS FOLLETT: Mr Speaker, as I was saying, I think there is absolutely no doubt that the Government does not wish to open itself up to scrutiny on the important matter of its budget and is seeking to use the committee system, the very structure of the committees, to deny other Assembly members an opportunity to participate fully in that process.
It is what we have seen from them repeatedly on the whole issue of committees. We have seen the Government's determination to control this Assembly. That is completely the opposite of any recognised parliamentary system. The parliament must be paramount, not the government, and they are trying it on again. They are a little bit embarrassed about it, but that is undoubtedly the case.
I believe that this is yet another Government cover-up and that we will in fact see from this Government the kind of membership of this committee that I have outlined before. What I would like to ask is this: what is the position of Executive Deputies here? Will the Government have the courage of its own convictions about Executive Deputies and acknowledge that actually it has only two backbenchers? I think that is a very interesting point for them.
Mr Kaine: We do not have only two backbenchers. There are only four members of the Executive; one, two, three, four. Can you count? One, two, three, four.
MR SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Kaine: The perpetuation of this myth is getting a bit sickening.
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