Page 5099 - Week 17 - Wednesday, 12 December 1990
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Gaming Machine (Amendment) Bill introduced only the day before. No doubt the Opposition would argue that they had good reason for such hasty treatment and, as I recall it, the then Opposition understood those imperatives.
This Government is strong and it is decisive. By being so, it is criticised for using its numbers when it believes that in the public interest steps should be taken to introduce legislation and to process it. I do not believe that we will shy away from the responsibilities that have been placed upon us. I do concede that we can always improve consultation - and Mr Stevenson can be assured that our Government will never seek hasty passage of legislation without a very good reason. I can also assure members that this Government will continue on its hardworking way and build on the 57 Bills it has introduced and had passed so far this year.
The suggestion that we are somehow making the task too difficult for the Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation Committee should be commented upon. I am attempting to follow a thin line between being presumptive of the committee and being supportive of it. Having been given the honour of going over to the Federal Parliament and being allowed to sit in on its Bills committee processes during the early days of this Assembly, I learnt that Bills committees and subordinate legislation committees invariably operate under the tightest deadlines, under ultimate pressure, and the quality of the reports coming from that committee is simply astounding. They greatly impress my Law Office. I believe that they are responding to the situation as this Assembly evolves and matures in its processes.
We have seen that committee, with the capable assistance of Professor Whalan, able to present at times quite hard-hitting reports that have required us, indeed, to move amendments on the floor very quickly. Members will be aware that, without exception - I may stand corrected - we have responded to the requests of the Bills committee for amendments. There was only one matter, I believe, on which we gave an undertaking instead of making an amendment, and that related to a possible retrospective operation.
Mr Stevenson refers to the time for research, drafting and discussion of amendments and to time for the media to do the research and balanced reporting. We all know that we have probably the most difficult parliament in this country. It is very difficult because there are so few of us and we all share a vast, varied and informed constituency. As well, your Government members hold multi-portfolios which place enormous pressure on your Ministers, for better or worse. This is a very high pressure parliament, and I am sure that very few parliamentarians in the Westminster system work, from both the opposition point of view and the government point of view, such enormously long constituent hours and service hours in this Assembly.
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