Page 4365 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 21 November 1990
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MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think "duplicity" may just fall over the line as being okay.
MR KAINE: Well, "schizophrenic", can I use - - -
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Certainly "schizophrenic", Chief Minister.
MR KAINE: I will withdraw "duplicity" and say "schizophrenic". I know that he is interested in the Schizophrenic Foundation.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: "Hypocritical" is fine, members.
MR KAINE: Okay, I did not say that. He is guilty of politicising the committee, because he alone got up here and took exception to the committee's recommendation. He is the one that is politicising it; again, because its view does not coincide with his own, he rejects it. It does not matter about the formalities; it does not matter that the majority of the committee has taken that view; it does not matter what the facts are. It does not suit Mr Berry, so he rejects it.
Finally, he, of all people, is guilty of equivocating and causing delay, because he simply will not accept an opinion that he does not like. The rest of the Assembly members may well accept it - because it has not been put to them to vote on - but it does not suit Mr Berry, so let us take up more time. Incidentally, it is the private members' business time that we are wasting at the moment - - -
Mr Berry: That you are wasting.
MR KAINE: If you get into this kind of debate, you have to wear the consequences. I suggest that it is not appropriate for the Government, or Mr Berry, to get a quick and nasty decision on this matter. It does need to be carefully considered and, when we get the answer, it needs to be the right answer - not one that suits Mr Berry today, in connection with hospitals and schools.
MR MOORE (11.10): It seems to me that the Chief Minister has talked about precedent. We have a quite clear precedent on this issue, as it so happens, and it is the move-on powers. It was a private member's Bill, it was passed by this Assembly and it has not caused any problem. Whilst the legal wranglings are going on and ought to go outside of this Assembly, and be a matter for the Administration and Procedures Committee, that is fine. But what we are seeing here is the reason why people refer to this Assembly as "the house of farce" - and, watching this morning, I think it is probably with quite good reason. What happened is that the Government, instead of just following the precedent and dealing with the issues, has decided to use some legal wrangling and delaying tactics so that it does not have to face each of these Bills. I have
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