Page 455 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 19 February 1991
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Question Time : Australian Labor Party
MR STEVENSON (11.08): Although I am not a member of the Opposition, I would like to comment on a couple of the things that were said. Indeed, I must say that, when question time went past 3 o'clock, and five past and six past, I thought, "Any second now it is going to be the end". As it went on I thought, "Could it be that an agreement has been made between the Labor Party perhaps and the Alliance to allow extra time for question time?". I thought, "That must be it, and I must have not been available when they phoned up and wanted to discuss the matter with me". I thought it may have been something like that.
Mr Kaine: That is usually the case, Dennis.
MR STEVENSON: Yes, we know how often I am available. I must say, in respect of allowing the extra time, for whatever reason, that I commend the Alliance. It did give me an opportunity to ask a pressing question I had for Mr Wood. I thought it was an excellent idea. I find it unusual - well, not unusual - but I think it should be condemned when some people, no matter what happens - - -
Mr Stefaniak: You just cannot make people happy.
MR STEVENSON: Yes, you cannot make people happy. You do it this way and they say that it is not okay; you do it that way and it is not okay. In other words, no matter what you do, supposedly it is not okay. That is the best example of politics that one could use.
When Ms Follett spoke she talked about what the people of Canberra wanted; whether or not they wanted single member electorates. I had explained very clearly the flaws within the Datacol poll. I mentioned the fact that we had done a poll and I explained the questions so that any intelligent person, I would have thought, would have been able to clearly understand, or at least give some credence to what I had said until they had done their own research. When Ms Follett left earlier on - a few minutes ago - I asked her to stay. I said, "I have a word or two for you". She said that she could not stay and I said, "Perhaps you can listen to it upstairs". So one would presume that she is listening.
In fact, I hope that a lot of people are listening, because what she said was that "10 of Mr Stevenson's closest friends" had made a particular statement about something. I know that we could take that as being an off-the-cuff, humorous remark. In fact, a lot of things that are said are humorous and we had a good time tonight, perhaps. But the problem with some of these things that are said is that they are taken to far wider audiences than the people within this Assembly who might know the truth of the matter
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