Page 1307 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 16 April 1991
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personally, had no choice. I think one well understands my opinion of parties that control members of their group rather than allow them to represent the majority expressed wishes of the electorate who hire and pay them. But it was interesting on that day. I thought, "Well, the Labor Party have five, the No Self Government Party and five make eight; that leaves on the other side four members of the Residents Rally and four Liberals. That means eight/eight". I realised that my one vote for the Residents Rally would only make it five, and the Rally were not going to get any support from the Liberal Party for Bernard as Chief Minister.
However, prior to coming into the Assembly I made a statement to the media. The statement I made to the media was that, if the vote in the Assembly went nine for the election of Rosemary Follett, the extra vote would not be mine; and indeed it was not. For anybody who thought it may have been, I said, "Have a look at the number of votes for the Residents Rally and you will find that they will have five".
It is interesting to consider whose that extra vote must have been. What I said prior to coming in here and voting was, "If there is an extra vote, look towards the Liberal Party, although it would be most interesting if there were only one vote and the other three abstained". Indeed, that is what actually happened and I had said this prior to coming into this Assembly.
Mrs Nolan: Come on, Dennis. That is history.
MR STEVENSON: Indeed; but what a fascinating history it is, Mrs Nolan.
Mr Kaine: It is all speculative.
MR STEVENSON: Indeed, it is speculative, and I also intend to make some other speculative statements. The next point is that in this Assembly there was an unofficial coalition between the Labor Party and the No Self Government Party. You can call it what you will, but it was an unofficial coalition. Five and three make eight. That leaves nine. Being one of those nine, I held a balance of power for seven months.
Mr Moore: So did every other member.
MR STEVENSON: Indeed; that is why I said "a" balance of power. There is a major difference. The Residents Rally were prepared to join in an alliance with the Liberal Party. The interesting thing was that I was not. So that makes the difference. Ms Follett mentioned that no action of mine did make or could have made a difference as far as the Labor Party forming a minority government was concerned. That, of course, is nonsense. Had I given my ninth vote to the Liberal Party and the Residents Rally, it would have made a great deal of difference. It would have
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