Page 1939 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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taking part in the committees in which they are interested. It would obviously be illogical to do that because a person who is appointed Executive Deputy presumably is appointed to an area in which he or she has some personal interest and personal expertise, and that is the area in relation to which he or she presumably would like to serve on a committee.
So Mr Jensen, with his personal interest and background in planning, wants to serve on the planning committee, and no doubt be sought and was pleased with his appointment as Executive Deputy. I have no problem with that. The problem is when he chairs that committee which is supposed to be looking into the actions of the Executive, when he wears the hat of an Executive Deputy which, regardless of what they may say in this chamber as to the relationship between the Executive Deputy and the Executive Government, is being held out to the community as being somehow part of the Executive Government.
That letter on the Chief Minister's letterhead, Mr Jensen, is damning to your case. It establishes in the public mind that you are holding yourself out as being somehow connected to the Executive Government. If that is the case, you cannot, in all conscience, serve as chairman of that committee. We have referred previously to the ABC's reported comments when Julie Derrett indicated that you were unable to give an interview because the matter on which you would be commenting, as the Government's spokesperson on planning, may come before your committee. Again that demonstrates the contradiction.
Quite often we hear on radio or television - but radio more often - reports in which Mr Jensen speaks for the Government on planning matters. I have no difficulty with Mr Jensen speaking for the Government on planning matters; but it is when he is heard in the community as government spokesperson on planning, as Executive Deputy, and then chairs the committee that this inherent contradiction occurs.
Mr Deputy Speaker, as you are aware, I make the same argument in relation to your chairing of the Legal Affairs Committee. That has led me, with regret, to not be able to participate in the work of that committee. It has the same inherent contradiction. I would urge government members, in their private forum of the joint party room, to please try to come to a sensible solution on this. It is regrettable that we are getting into the trenches on this and continually exchanging shots. When the Chief Minister began his remarks by saying that Mr Moore was right, I hoped that we were going to hear some change in attitude; but, alas, it was just another shot across the bow and exchange of grapeshot at 10 paces.
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