Page 1689 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 30 April 1991
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MR CONNOLLY (8.27): Mr Speaker, I was not going to rise in this debate, but the Attorney-General has indeed provoked me. This is, as Mr Berry indicated, a sensible piece of legislation. It clears up a potential area of confusion. It may have a very practical benefit as well, as it allows the Chief Minister to have clear lawful authority to act with only one Minister. So perhaps he and Mr Humphries can run the Territory efficiently in the absence of the Residents Rally or the independent, once No Self Government Party. If that is Mr Kaine's hidden agenda - and he seems quite cheerful at that prospect, sitting there today, as indeed, does his Liberal back bench - - -
Mr Kaine: I was hoping that you would not catch on.
MR CONNOLLY: I congratulate him on his perspicacity in that regard. It was mentioned in justification of this measure that it would remove any doubts as to action taken in the absence of Ministers. The Opposition, in its opening remarks from Mr Berry, said that that is often necessary because there does seem to be a welter of travel going on. That greatly offended the Attorney-General.
The Opposition makes no apology for bringing to public attention the fact that the travel undertaken by Ministers in this Government does seem to be very, very uneven. Two Ministers in particular, the Attorney-General and Mr Duby, really do seem to be making a fist of it. We consistently bring those figures to public attention, and the public react with some horror when they learn of the extent of travel undertaken by those two Ministers. I must say, giving credit where credit is due, that Ministers Humphries and Kaine seem much more restrained in their travel.
I was most concerned when I read the legislation handbook, recently prepared by officers of the Chief Minister's Department - and a very worthwhile document it is, too, in guiding public servants in this administration in the process of preparing legislation. I noted that the legislation handbook, in its example of how to prepare a Bill and an explanatory memorandum, said:
The Australian Capital Territory Space Exploration Authority Bill, which is a Bill to provide for a program of trips to Mars and Venus ...
While we complain about ministerial trips, I would have to say that, if this Government wishes to send one or two Ministers in particular into outer space, it could expect full support from this Opposition on that measure, as it can on this Bill.
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