Page 4371 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 21 November 1990
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There are so many faults. In her Human Rights Bill she left out religious and political discrimination. It is so faulty. It is so deficient in terms of what she promised as - - -
Mr Berry: Mr Deputy Speaker, I think he is getting into the detail of it.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, perhaps if you could - - -
MR COLLAERY: Yes, I will defer, Mr Deputy Speaker. The tag to be given to this debate has moved on probably from "gag" to a new one. We saw Ms Follett leave the chamber, and she went out and spoke to her acolytes; then she came straight back in and she said that we are destroying private members' business. She got her new orders and the replicant came in and said that we are now destroying private members' business.
This is a very good private members' business debate. What the Opposition is saying is that it wants to charge on and overrule the good sense and opinion of eminent counsel, Mr Brazil, who was nominated by Mr Berry himself. The Opposition does not want to get a further opinion. That is the standard of this Labor Opposition. They really do not know what they are doing; they are inconsistent. But the most abiding impression people should get from this debate is the continuing inability of our Government to reach any compromise with this Leader of the Opposition. She cannot control her troops, as we saw yesterday and last night. She is rarely in the Assembly. She runs a most formidable press campaign however, never by press releases.
Mr Berry: Mr Deputy Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think relevance again raises its ugly head in the way that the member is approaching the debate.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, Mr Berry, I think I will fight for you on this occasion. Please stick to the point, Deputy Chief Minister; you are getting a little bit off it.
MR COLLAERY: Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker. This debate is certainly the most important private members' debate we could have. It is about access to business by private members. And, as my colleague Mr Humphries acknowledged, one day we may be on the other side, and we want it said too. A year ago, sitting over there where Mr Wood is now, I pointed out this problem to the present Leader of the Opposition, and did she seek to settle the doubts that had emerged that were pointed out by Mr Brazil? No, she was happy to sit on those doubts.
Why should we not now round off this debate and claim, firstly, that we have totally demolished the pretensions put forward this morning by this Opposition? All the Opposition had to do was to agree with the Government Whip, who is clearly available at any time to settle the issues.
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