Page 704 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 12 March 1991
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
What has been said by certain individuals is perfectly correct and perfectly legitimate. I have acknowledged publicly that later in the year, when the major business of this term of government has been completed, we will get into election mode. Labor is in election mode already. They think they are going to have to fight for a whole year to get themselves re-elected. They will have run out of steam by the end of March this year, I predict. We are not going to fall for that. We will fight an election campaign over our time and at a time of our choosing. When we do that the Rally and the Independents Group will naturally and logically want to go into the election campaign in their own right as political parties. I respect their right to do so. We will trounce the hide off the Labor Party come next February, and don't you forget it.
Casino Project
MR MOORE: My question is also to the Chief Minister, Mr Kaine. Can the Chief Minister tell this Assembly whether the Government has stayed at arm's length from the tendering process associated with the casino project? Further, can the Chief Minister tell us how he would react if he was aware that one of his Ministers was not maintaining that arm's length involvement?
MR KAINE: I can certainly speak for the Government in this matter, Mr Speaker. Yes, the Government has kept at arm's length from the matter. Until a submission was put to the Cabinet within the last 36 hours I had no knowledge of what was going on inside that process. It was a process set up by the present Opposition when they were in government. It has been my firm resolve ever since not to interfere with that process, not to be seen to be becoming politically involved in it. The Government has honoured that resolve meticulously. The Government now has a submission which it has under consideration, and as quickly as we can we will announce the results of that and our intentions. All I can suggest is that Mr Moore must be mistaken.
MR MOORE: I have a supplementary question, Mr Speaker. Are you aware, Chief Minister, that towards the end of 1990 and during the week commencing 24 February at least one of your Ministers met with the principals of firms involved in the tendering for the casino and that the Chief Law Officer has found it necessary to advise one of your Ministers that he, the Chief Law Officer, does not wish to be informed of such clandestine meetings since such information jeopardises your commitment, Chief Minister, to the tendering process remaining at arm's length from the Executive?
MR KAINE: I have no knowledge of the matters that Mr Moore alleges. If he likes to give me the details privately, I will have a look at it. I have no knowledge of it.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .