Page 3743 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 17 October 1990
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I realise that it has probably come as some surprise to you that we should take this approach. Let me emphasise that in no way do I mean any disrespect to you, as I have worked with you on other committees and have no difficulty with that. It is not a personal comment; it is just inappropriate at this stage to take one member off and put another member on when it is not necessary to put another member on.
I think the most appropriate thing to do is to leave Ms Maher off as she will miss only one session with Mr Humphries and a small session with Mr Collaery. The result of that is that, if she has leave, when she returns she can look at the report and determine whether she has any difficulties with it, or suggest input into it before she leaves.
Failing that, if she feels that she does not have enough time, we should leave the committee - after all, it is an estimates committee; it is not as though it is a critical committee in terms of government policy - with the number at two. It is not a critical committee in terms of government policy. What it is, of course, is an absolutely critical committee in terms of the democratic nature of the Assembly and the role that the Assembly plays in government. I must say that, thanks to the generous offer of Ms Follett, I am delighted to have had the opportunity to participate fully in that committee and I will continue to do so.
What I am suggesting is that we would be far better off having a committee with the members that are left and the Government need not feel any great threat about that because the recommendations of the committee still have to go through a normal vote. For any motion to be negatived requires only an even vote. Anyway, if there is something that is of great difficulty or great dissent, clearly that would be put down in a minority report. So, I do not see that there is any great threatening situation to the Government in this situation. Clearly, the best result, if it is appropriate, and Ms Maher wishes to withdraw, is to allow her to withdraw and not replace her with anybody.
MRS GRASSBY (3.27): Mr Deputy Speaker, I also rise to support my colleague Mr Connolly. May I say at this time that I congratulate Ms Maher for the fact that she sat until very late in the morning, as did other members of the committee. I think they put in a lot of very hard work and a lot of time. But now, at the end of it, with Ms Maher going away, I do not think it would make any difference if the committee sat as it was. If anybody else was to be congratulated for sitting most of the time on that committee, it would be Mr Berry. I would say that, other than the members of the committee, Mr Berry spent more time on that committee than anybody else. As I say, I congratulate the members of the committee who did sit every night until very late hours and Mr Berry who spent a lot of time there too.
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