Page 77 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 1991
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report, support the Government's own response to that report, and say that your additional jobs for the boys, if they are created, ought to be created by way of an amendment to that Act of Parliament.
Mr Collaery was quite wrong about that. He denigrated Mrs Kelly's position. If he was any sort of a statesman, or any sort of a gentleman, he would make an apology to her. I leave it with the people to decide whether they wish to put any further faith in Mr Collaery, whether he is pretending to be Attorney-General or acting as Chief Minister, or in whatever capacity he is heard on the airwaves. He clearly has not a clue what he is talking about.
Probably the most interesting point in this whole report for most readers is its comments on the electoral system, and again on this matter I think there is a good deal of common ground. It is agreed that the electoral system used at the first ACT election was pretty disastrous - not so much in its principles, but in its implementation. It is agreed that the time it took to count that vote was outrageous and that the whole organisation of the election left a lot to be desired. Both this report and the report of the Federal Parliament have made a range of recommendations for change in that regard.
I put on record again my own party's view that the ACT electorate would be best served by a system of local members, with each small area having its own member. Indeed, wherever I go in the community it is the constant complaint of people that they would like to have their own member. I know that other parties have other views; but I think it extraordinary that this report, in part of its recommendations, apparently condones the current system. Of course, we have to bear in mind that the current system gave us such luminaries as Ms Maher and Mr Duby on the No Self Government platform. And, of course, the only chance they would ever have of getting up again is by a similarly disastrous system, so of course they would support it. But it is not common ground amongst proper political parties of some experience and credibility. I am hoping that before the next election for this Assembly the system is indeed modified. All members will know, of course, that both this report and the Federal Government report recommended that there be a referendum on the matter. That is a position that I support.
Mr Jensen: They should pay, too. Do you support that?
MS FOLLETT: I support, as Mr Jensen urges me to, the position that the Federal Government should pay. Of course they should. I have not heard too much about a result from the request by members opposite to the Federal Government to pay for that referendum. I wish them luck on being able to secure that, but there is no doubt in my mind that the opportunity the Federal Parliament now has to amend the electoral system is its last opportunity. If they cannot
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