Page 3749 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 17 October 1990
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embarrassed by a report of the committee; but it will, nevertheless, have to suffer the embarrassment of a minority report if it continues to maintain the numbers. I think it is hairsplitting in relation to the future deliberations of the Estimates Committee, but what is most important is that the Government has been shown to diminish the role that Assembly members can play in producing that report. It has shown that it is prepared to allow its Deputy Chief Minister to spread a yarn on the issue of reneging which did not occur.
Mr Collaery: You will be asked to answer a question in a minute.
MR BERRY: Mr Collaery says that he will be asking me some questions; but, of course, as we have found out with Mr Collaery, he does not answer questions which are asked legitimately of him. He is not in a position to question my performance in this place. The fact of the matter is that the Opposition has questioned his performance. He has been found out on this issue and so has the Government. We will be opposing the motion.
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (3.46): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am amazed that this has turned into a major debate. The simple fact is that Ms Maher is required to go overseas for a short period on urgent private business and the status of the Estimates Committee has already been determined by the Assembly. It is a quite normal occurrence, I believe, in any situation where a member, through sickness or for whatever reason, for personal business or whatever, has to leave or depart from a committee, that they are replaced with somebody of the same political complexion.
Look at the great debates that the Labor Party has entered into in the past over the replacement of sick and retiring members of legislatures. We all know how they feel about the replacement of sick, retired or deceased senators by people who do not reflect the original political complexion.
Mr Wood: That is more than stretching it. Replacing one whole person as against a person on a committee - - -
MR DUBY: Now, just one moment. I am going to continue this argument right through, Mr Wood. I will show you how this man is going to be hung by his own rope. First of all he says that the matter of committees has to be a matter of careful and close negotiation between the Government and the members of the Opposition. Mr Deputy Speaker, the simple fact is that it does not at all. I am talking to someone from the loony left of the Labor Party. You know perfectly well that I do not have to negotiate anything with you. We have the numbers; we can do what we like. The fact is, though, that we are good enough to invite you to be part of the arrangements. This is the way that you would like to run the operation. I would like members here
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