Page 4590 - Week 16 - Tuesday, 27 November 1990
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I think, Mr Speaker, that the question that needs to be asked is whether the Opposition had approached Mr Collaery, the Attorney-General, to request expedition from the Attorney-General or from the Chief Minister in their respective requests for advice from those persons. Obviously that has not occurred. Obviously the Opposition would rather grandstand in this place than obtain some satisfaction through the usual channels of approaching the Ministers concerned.
Obviously, speaking to Mr Collaery at all violates the Opposition's policy of silence as far as Mr Collaery is concerned. That policy - "We do not talk to this person" - has made some difficulties for them, I think, in executing a valid policy. Mrs Grassby obviously is going to be in deep trouble with her faction when she gets back to the other side of the chamber, but for the moment the policy in this place stands. Mr Collaery is not asked questions, and that applies as much off the floor as on the floor and in question time.
I accept fully the assurance given by the Attorney-General that the matters are well in hand, that a lengthy brief has been prepared and will go this afternoon to Mr Jackson of queen's counsel. What is more, it was cleared by Mr Collaery as Attorney-General and as a senior lawyer only last weekend. That kind of treatment of this important matter I think is appropriate. The Government is not anxious to have these matters dangling over our heads for a long time. We are as anxious as the Opposition to see that the issue is resolved.
One thing I can reject quite comprehensively is Mr Connolly's suggestion that we should "shop around" for a QC who will provide us with the advice we want in the time we want. That is a quite extraordinary suggestion. Obviously the Opposition is shopping around already for the advice that they want. They are prepared to buy the second advice received, or at least parts of the second advice received, but are not prepared to pay a penny for the first advice. Presumably, if these other two advices that are being sought oppose the Opposition's position in these matters in any way, they will reject those as well. This idea of shopping around for an opinion is not one which sits very well with what Mr Connolly called the dignity of this house. We know that queen's counsel do not work like that, and they should not work like that on this occasion either. The deadline is an arbitrary one. There is no reason for this motion to be passed. It seems to say, in the usual contemptuous style of the Opposition, that we do not trust the ministry to prosecute this matter properly and expeditiously. For that reason, if for no other reason, I intend to oppose this ridiculous motion.
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