Page 1941 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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I think Mr Connolly knows full well that that argument is totally irrelevant, that no court of law would pursue it. He has already told us that he is going to take the matter of school closures to the Supreme Court. Why does he not take the matter of Executive Deputies chairing committees to the Supreme Court? I look forward to hearing why he will not do that. Obviously he has no plans to do so.
Mr Connolly: You were not listening, Minister.
MR HUMPHRIES: I was listening, Mr Connolly, and I heard no claim by you that you are going to take the matter to the Supreme Court. I cannot understand why you would not do that if you feel strongly enough about this issue with respect to school closures. You do not feel strongly enough to bring the issue to a head with respect to Executive Deputies chairing committees. As I said, having Executive Deputies chair those committees does not affect their operation. If it suits the committees - they have voted on these matters - they ought to proceed.
It is a matter of regret to me that those opposite are not prepared to pull their weight with respect to those committees. The result will be that those committees will have to report in the absence of opposition comments. It will mean that opposition members will then have to bring their comments and objections onto the floor of this Assembly and debate them here. I am not impressed with that, and I certainly will not be wanting to give the Opposition extra time to make voluminous points that it might have otherwise made on the floor of the committees. That certainly will not be acceptable.
But let us examine this argument that there is some intimate connection between Executive Deputies and the operation of the Executive which makes Executive Deputies unsuitable to chair committees of the Assembly. Let us compare that situation with that of Mr Wood who chaired a number of committees during the period of the Follett Government. Mr Wood was the Secretary of Cabinet, a very grand title. Presumably it meant that he managed to sit in on Cabinet meetings. He was sitting in on Cabinet meetings, presumably with some right to make a comment or express a view in the course of those Cabinet meetings, being involved in the Executive in a way in which no Executive Deputy in this Government has ever been involved. No Executive Deputy has even attended a Cabinet meeting in the period of this Government. They say that Executive Deputies of our Government cannot chair committees; yet, during the Follett Government, Mr Wood could chair committees. I cannot see the difference between those two cases, Mr Connolly. If you would like to explain the difference to me, I would be very happy to take it on board.
Mr Berry: Take your blinker off and you will be able to see. Open your other eye.
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