Page 379 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 19 February 1991
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I am also well aware that Mr Humphries intends to move some motions at the same time. I hope that they will be debated cognately. I do not see them at odds with one another; rather, they run parallel. I certainly welcome the approach by Mr Humphries. I think that what we need here, with reference to the motion that I will put, is a unanimous view from this Assembly which would strengthen the case no end and bring great pressure on each and every individual member of the House of Representatives and each and every individual member of the Senate.
I think that is a most important factor and is something that we need to do urgently in order to ensure that this matter of great public importance is carried through to the conclusion that allows the people of the ACT to have a choice about their future, to have a real choice about their government, how their government operates and how their government will be elected.
MR KAINE (Chief Minister) (3.54): It is quite obvious that the questions associated with the electoral system and other powers retained by the Commonwealth are not dead but are merely dormant. It is interesting that there was a single remark by the responsible Minister at the Federal level this morning, and here we are, shortly afterwards, debating the matter in this Assembly once again. There are those of us in this house - and, I would submit, most people out in the community - who are very conscious of this problem and we and they would like to see it resolved. We will take the chance at every opportunity to express our view to the Commonwealth.
So far as the Alliance Government is concerned, we believe that the resolution of the ACT electoral system should be based on a few clear and simple principles. I advised members of those principles in providing the Government's response to the report of the Assembly Select Committee on Self-Government. I think they bear repeating.
The first and most fundamental of those principles is that the Commonwealth Government should face up to its responsibilities, as spelt out in its legislation, and fix the seriously flawed electoral system that it imposed on the ACT. It is their Act. They determined that the electoral system would be prescribed in that Act. Only they can fix that Act. Having done so, they should then hand over future responsibility for these matters to this Government in the ACT.
However, if the Commonwealth is incapable, for one reason or another, of giving proper expression to this responsibility by making a decision - and they seem not to be able to do so - then it should decide now to let the ACT, through its elected representatives in this Assembly, make its own decision. While the Alliance Government is happy to negotiate with the Commonwealth on this matter - and I have to say that I have spoken to the responsible
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