Page 551 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 1991
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past. He recognised in the past that there was a need to do something. Other government members have recognised the problems with the committee system. Mr Stefaniak has recognised them, Mrs Nolan has recognised them, the Chief Minister has recognised them, and still nothing is being done.
He has changed his mind now because he has a bit of a burr under his saddle, but the fact of the matter is that the Chief Minister is repeating his continuing inability to deal with difficult issues and to control members of his Government. He cannot even control his own emotions in this Assembly. Just sit quietly there and listen; there are a few more things that I want to say. I happen to have the floor now, in case you had not noticed.
Mr Stefaniak supported a need for change. Mrs Nolan supported a need for change. I would implore the Chief Minister to take up his previous indication that he would do something about the issue. I think there is a necessity to ensure that the committee system works. It is not working because of a government decision. It has been the Government's decision to create another arm of the Executive; it is not something that the Opposition has had any control over.
The Government is in a quandary about the issue. It cannot gain consensus in its own ranks. I can see the difficulty that it would have, because Mr Jensen has been promised a ministry, and I suspect that the promise of that ministry would include something to do with planning, because that is the only thing he seems to suggest that he has any knowledge on. If he were to be kicked off as chairman of the planning committee, it might be difficult to say then that he had the qualifications to be a Minister. But that is a problem for the Government, and it seems as though it is finding some difficulty in dealing with it.
I am sure that the Chief Minister will take on board what I have said and I hope that he will work towards an improvement of the committee system. Mr Moore rightly says that he has been prepared to play the waiting game until the Government moved. In my consultations with Mr Moore on the issue, I have been quite content with Mr Moore's position; but I see now that he is not entirely happy with the Government's position as well, and that means that more questions are being raised about the ability of the committee system to deliver on behalf of the people of the Territory. It has not delivered in relation to this matter. It has just created more confusion about what should happen with the billboard, and the Opposition's position in relation to the matter will now be dealt with in consultation directly with the Government, if it so desires. Otherwise, we will have to deal with it when the Government makes its response.
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