Page 4159 - Week 14 - Thursday, 25 October 1990
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MR JENSEN (3.47): Mr Speaker, I propose to move an amendment - it is about to be circulated in my name - in relation to this matter.
Mrs Grassby: I have just moved one.
MR JENSEN: I got the call, Mrs Grassby. Mr Speaker, I move as an amendment to the motion:
At end of motion, add the following words: ", in respect of his denial that operational crews were used under contract during his term as Minister".
I will speak very briefly on this because Mr Berry added nothing to what is recorded on page 32 of the proof Hansard of 23 October 1990. Once again it is very clear, if one reads Hansard, that Mr Berry sought deliberately to mislead this Assembly by seeking to indicate to the Assembly that he did something when he was a Minister and authorised something when he was a Minister that in fact did not happen.
That is why I think it is appropriate to ensure that the discussion on this matter is restricted as soon as possible to the exact nature of Mr Berry's incorrect and misleading statements to this Assembly.
MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (3.49): I want to speak to the motion, Mr Speaker, not to any of the amendments. Mr Speaker, I think we have to accept that there has to be a good reason why a Government with a substantial majority in this house would seek to move a censure motion against a minority Opposition. Of course, there is a good reason, and the reason is that they are terrified of anything else going wrong for the week. This is a desperate, diversionary tactic by a Government in total disarray.
Mr Speaker, let us just cast our minds back to the recent history of censure motions. I recall that the Deputy Chief Minister, the current Attorney-General, Mr Collaery, publicly said that he would be moving a censure motion against me for having spoken out about ministerial travel arrangements. Well, that censure motion has not eventuated, so they had to have one on someone and they picked Mr Berry. The reason for that censure motion not having eventuated is, of course, that the Ministers opposite have been exposed not only for a quite extraordinary predilection to travel at the public expense but also for undertaking that travel in a manner which was not exactly legal - a little bit dodgy.
Mr Humphries: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. This motion is about censuring Mr Berry. Neither Mr Collaery's conduct nor Ms Follett's conduct is under debate. I think Ms Follett should restrict her remarks accordingly.
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