Page 4936 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 11 December 1990
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appear in a comic strip, Mr Speaker. It was the sort of behaviour which continually has brought this Assembly into disrepute. It has been actions such as those taken by Mr Collaery which have brought this place into disrepute in the past, as we all know.
Mr Speaker, the next thing was that there was some debate - and it is all on the record - about rats scurrying. The activities of the Government members opposite as they abandoned the Assembly were described. They abandoned the Assembly. Mr Collaery then took it upon himself to whip the Government. He was making sure that they all left the Assembly. It was some sort of token gesture to remind the - - -
Mr Collaery: To test your honour.
MR BERRY: It was some token gesture to remind the Labor Opposition that they were in panic. Mr Collaery says that he was going to test my honour. He does not have to test it because I never called for the vote. The funny thing about it is that the only vote that was called for was called by their whip. Fancy putting anything in this man's clumsy hands! He is the fellow who is one of the front runners for your position, Mr Speaker, in the great reshuffle when they get the new ministry. We have Bill Stefaniak for Minister and Norm Jensen for Speaker. What a disaster! He cannot even whip for the Government.
Mr Jensen: That is a new one on me, Wayne.
Mr Stefaniak: That sounds pretty good, Wayne. What is wrong with that?
MR BERRY: Well, he is one of the contenders. There you are.
Mr Jensen: You are spinning a yarn again, are you, Wayne? This is another of Wayne's yarns.
MR BERRY: I think it is not a bad bet. I am not a betting person, but I think that is not a bad bet. The fact is that it was the incompetence of the Government members that caused all of the disarray here. They abandoned the chamber. This lot walked out, although I must say that Ms Maher was a bit reluctant. I think she was rather puzzled, more than reluctant, about what was going on because there was not much of an explanation for what Mr Collaery was doing. But that is quite often the case with Mr Collaery's actions. Quite often they are inexplicable and I can understand why she would be puzzled.
All the members having been whipped outside, it must have dawned on them, "Heavens, we now cannot call a quorum. Mr Speaker is still in the chair and he will not come out". The difficult position for the Government members was that the house did not collapse in accordance with what was expected by Mr Collaery. I think Mr Collaery ought to give
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