Page 888 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 13 March 1991
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Motion of Censure
MR KAINE (Chief Minister) (4.18): I seek leave of the Assembly to suspend so much of the standing and temporary orders as would prevent me moving a motion of censure against Mr Moore.
Leave granted.
MR KAINE: Mr Speaker, I move:
That this Assembly:
(1) deplores the gross abuse of privilege by Mr Moore in raising an allegation yesterday against a Minister or Ministers without providing sufficient information to enable the Minister to respond to the allegation on that day; and
(2) censures Mr Moore for his actions in the matter.
I think there has been enough expression of disgust at Mr Moore's behaviour in this matter today. It was quite clear that he had no evidence to offer to back up his accusation. He made a slur against all the Ministers of this Government. I know that in the debate today he has tried to narrow it down and somehow exclude, for one reason or another, Mr Humphries and me; but his statements on the matter originally did not exclude us, and his statements on radio yesterday did not exclude us either, because he said that the process had been at arm's length and that "at least one of the Ministers ...". So, by implication there was more than one and, since he did not name them, it could be any one of the four of us.
I think that his behaviour and his gross abuse of the privilege that this house gives him is unacceptable. His action is nothing but malicious. In trying to excuse his own actions, he did everything in his power to scatter as much muck as he could over everybody in sight, and anybody would do. It did not matter as long as he somehow hid his own guilt and his own malicious nature in this matter.
I think it is noteworthy, Mr Speaker, that the members of the Labor Opposition have been so upset and concerned at this proceeding that they have deserted the house; they simply will not be a part of it. They simply will not line up alongside Mr Moore and be associated in any way with his disgraceful behaviour, and I commend them for that. It shows quite clearly where they stand on this matter, and I think that there will be a unanimous vote of this Assembly in terms of the censure motion that I have put. The fact that the Labor members may not return, I think, speaks for itself however. They are voting with their feet. I think Mr Moore had better note the absolute abhorrence with which he is held by all of the members of this Assembly and, I am sure, will be held by all the members of the public when they know the facts.
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