Page 5172 - Week 17 - Thursday, 13 December 1990
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Mr Berry made some snide remarks about consultation on government appointments. I might remind Mr Berry that the consultation I have provided to him is considerably in excess of any consultation he provided to me or anybody else on this side of the house when he was in government, and it is very rich to see him now coming up and criticising the particular flaws in the structure of consultation provided by me. The Government does not consult merely after the contemplative stage has finished. I am always prepared to receive suggestions from those opposite about names and I have always seriously considered any suggestions that have come forward. Not many have come, in fact, from Mr Berry, to my recollection. In fact, I cannot recall any, particularly for this particular board.
If the Opposition is really serious about providing for at least half the membership of the board to be women, why has it not done so before? Why did it not do so in any legislation it brought forward when in government? Why has it not done so in an amendment to any legislation that this Government has brought forward to this house from time to time? Only, I think, a few days ago we considered, as I recall, a Bill to amend the composition of the board of ACTEW. There was no suggestion then that half the board members should be women. It would be a very easy amendment to have done at that stage. Why was it not done then? Mr Berry shuffles his papers, but the fact is that there have been many opportunities - - -
Mr Kaine: He is shuffling his feet too.
MR HUMPHRIES: He shuffles his facts as well. But why has he not taken the opportunity before? Has it only just occurred to the Labor Party that half of the ACT is made up of women? I doubt it. I think Mr Berry has decided that this is the issue on which he wants to make some cheap political point, as usual.
I think, for all those reasons, this house is entirely entitled to reject Mr Berry's suggestion. Mr Berry is quite entitled to make the point, if he wishes to, in future when we have the misfortune to have a Labor government inflicted on us. He is entitled to appoint 50 per cent women if he wants to. But I might remind Mr Berry and those opposite that prescribing a particular percentage of women would also be inconsistent with the admirable anti-discrimination legislation which Mr Collaery has tabled in this place. Mr Berry might be very happy to bust anti-discrimination legislation with gay abandon, but the fact is that we take that very seriously. We do not see the value in providing that kind of thing, and we do see it as important to choose people who are appropriate and good for the job. There are women on the present board; we are very happy about those appointments. I suggest that Mr Berry consider whether his amendment is really sensible in the first place.
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