Page 4739 - Week 16 - Wednesday, 28 November 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Suspension of Standing and Temporary Orders
Motion (by Mr Collaery) proposed:
That so much of standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent Mr Duby (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) making a ministerial statement concerning the Tuggeranong pool project.
MR BERRY (3.06): Again, the Opposition has been denied proper notice of ministerial statements in order that proper debate can occur and the community can be advised as quickly as possible of debate in this Assembly.
Mr Kaine: How much notice do you need?
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR BERRY: We were advised half an hour before the start of proceedings today that there was to be a ministerial statement. That is completely inadequate. We have always expected that we should have notice of a couple of hours in order that any preparation - - -
Mr Kaine: The Government expects to get on with its business, so why do you not sit down and let us do so?
MR SPEAKER: Order! Please proceed, Mr Berry.
MR BERRY: The Government has to establish reasonable conventions in this place. It has to appear honourable, however difficult that might be for it; but it needs to address the issue of proper debate in this Assembly. One of the processes, of course, is to give proper notice on issues such as this. It may not be something of a world-shattering nature, and it probably will not be, coming from Mr Duby; but the fact of the matter is that the Opposition in this Assembly deserves the courtesy of notice about these matters so that they can be debated in this place and so that the public can be properly informed from both points of view - Government and Opposition - on the future of matters which may be decided as a result of ministerial statements.
Mr Speaker, I rise merely to point that out again. I do not know how many times I have raised this issue; it takes a little time to sink in. We thought we had it sorted out. The Government tended to give proper notice and it now seems to fall into the folly of its old ways. The Government now has to overturn the standing orders to have its way on the matter because it has not observed what could only be described as reasonable conventions.
Ms Follett: And courtesy.
MR BERRY: And courtesy.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .