Page 562 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 1991
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Mr Moore: Not that you would have.
MR STEVENSON: Not that I would have. But I did not have that opportunity. It was one that had already been allowed by the Labor Party. You know that I would never say that it would allow too much, but it allowed that, and I commend it for that.
Also, I will mention the Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation Committee. I said, "Yes, I used to be a policeman; I am very interested in the law, researching and such things". I said, "I would like to be on that committee". But no - - -
Ms Maher: The best committee, Dennis.
MR STEVENSON: Indeed, I would have liked to help make it like that. So, I was blocked on that committee and also on another committee. So, what happened? I was appointed to the Cultural Activities and Facilities Committee.
Mr Wood: Were you asked?
MR STEVENSON: It is an interesting question. You say, Mr Wood, "Were you asked?". No, I was not asked. It was not discussed with me; there was no suggestion whatsoever; I was just told that I was on it. I live in fear each day of looking at the Gazette, et cetera, to see what is happening to me. I think, "What have they got planned for me today?". Obviously, in my case it was a sop. They said, "We should have him on some committees, or he will get up and say that we are using political control of the numbers in this Government". The Government is all members here, not just a mob that happened to get together and say, "We have the numbers. Now we will sit over that side and laugh at everything else you lot do". Once again, that is not confined to the Alliance; it applies to anybody that gets together in Australian parliaments and grabs the numbers.
So, there is political control of committees, if you like. I have said again, and again, and again, and I will it again, that every person in this Assembly has valuable contributions to make. Perhaps the most valuable contributions that they can make are on the committees that they would like to be on and that they are interested in; that makes sense. You do not call up volunteers like they do in the Army, like Mr Kaine may have done himself in the Air Force. "I would like three volunteers, you three blokes just heading around - - -
Mr Kaine: You, you and you!
Mr Stefaniak: "Who can ride a motor bike?". "I can". "Right, drive the truck". You know that one?
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