Page 3745 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 17 October 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
representatives of all groups and parties in the Assembly as nearly as practicable in proportion to their representation in the Assembly.
Clearly, it would be quite proper and appropriate for you, Mr Deputy Speaker, in your membership of the Alliance grouping here, to be appointed to that committee to maintain the balance already achieved by democratic vote in this Assembly. So, the unctuous and holier than thou propositions put about - "There is no point in altering it now, everything is okay" and "You cannot read the transcripts and inform yourself", for reasons unstated - are nonsense, with respect.
The fact is that we are simply availing ourselves, as would any other assembly in the country. Once again this group - who call themselves an Opposition but play no rules at all, as we saw this morning, and show no balance or taste half the time - want to play games.
Mrs Grassby: Ms Maher should not be going away if she wants to be on the committee; she should be staying here.
MR COLLAERY: Mr Deputy Speaker, Mrs Grassby says, "Why should she go away?". Well, of course, this house graciously gave Mrs Grassby leave to go off with her bonbons that she got from MLC.
Mrs Grassby: I was not on a committee.
Mr Jensen: No; you were a Minister, though, Mrs Grassby.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Let us not have the interchange across the chamber.
MR COLLAERY: Thank you for protecting me, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am, after all, trying to assist you on to the committee. Mr Deputy Speaker, I will just summarise - if I can do so over the voices. Firstly, we rely on standing order 221 to reflect the proportional balance in the committee. Secondly, I ask whether anyone in the Opposition can really give an honest answer as to why they oppose your appointment to that committee. I think the honest answer is that they see an opportunistic chance to grab the numbers, because this is the masterful numbers team opposite us. Mr Deputy Speaker, once again the other side play the numbers game. They play the opportunistic game which they played this morning to the disgrace of themselves and in so doing disgraced the Assembly.
Certainly, Mr Deputy Speaker, I commend the motion before the Assembly as being only procedural and proper and reflecting the standing orders that we operate by. If the Opposition want to get to their feet now and argue against standing order 221, I would like to hear them. We want to hear them. Let them make their comments about standing order 221. Let them move to alter that and we will take that on board. But, in the meantime, whilst we are
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .