Page 1949 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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Government Ministers are prepared to be involved in the farcical arrangements of the Alliance Government; that is up to them. They can do it, but I will not participate in a farce. I think it is very clear from what has been said in this debate that it is a farcical situation that has been cobbled together by the Government. The Labor Party - I am sure that Mr Moore is of the same mind as the evidence in front of us suggests that that is so, because of his strong involvement in the committee process - is keen to be involved in the committee process, but we will not be involved in the farces which have been cobbled together by the Alliance Government.
Mr Jensen: Show me where I have been biased, Wayne. You have not shown me one case.
MR BERRY: It is a farce.
Mr Humphries: But a well-paying farce.
MR BERRY: It is a well-paid farce because Norm is paid well to be the chairperson of the committee; I understand that. I have to tolerate Mr Jensen on the Administration and Procedures Committee, and I am prepared to do that; but I am not prepared to work with him in the farcical situation which has been cobbled together by the Government in respect of the committee about which we are talking.
Mr Duby: How would you know? You have never attended a meeting.
MR BERRY: Mr Duby says, "He has never attended a meeting". Once again, Mr Duby gets it wrong.
Mr Duby: I am sorry; you have been to one meeting. Then you showed up and said, "I am not coming any more".
MR BERRY: I made it clear to the committee that there would be no participation by me in any farce. That is what upsets the Government: It has locked itself into a farcical situation. It is embarrassed, and it ought to be. That is why the Chief Minister was so angry during his contribution to this debate. I go back to his words; his words were that the committee system was crooked. I agree with him; but it is on the Government's head, not on ours.
DR KINLOCH (4.07): I am disturbed at some of the words that are being thrown around here. Our committee system is being described as crooked, a farce, farcical and unproductive. I do not recognise what it is that is being discussed here. I honour Mrs Grassby for her excellent work on committees, which we have shared, and also Mr Wood who has been an excellent chairman of some committees. I have been on committees with Mr Jensen, and I assure members on the other side, this side and in the middle that he has acted independently in all the committees in which we have been mutually involved. You have only to read the reports for which he has been responsible to see that.
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