Page 2127 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 29 May 1991
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MS FOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition) (10.39): We have come to the end of what I have considered to be an extraordinarily shameful era in ACT self-government. We have seen the end of a shameful government in a shameful manner - in an attempt to deny members of this Assembly the right even to debate the issue of government. As I say, it is a shameful end. I think that Mr Kaine - and I believe it is uncharacteristic - has behaved in a shameful manner in this matter.
I am prepared to support him in his bid to adjourn the Assembly until next Tuesday. I think it is appropriate that he should have time to make other arrangements in all of the circumstances. But it is a disgrace to deny members of this chamber an opportunity to debate the fall of the Government. It is ridiculous and it is outrageous, like so much that has been attempted under the Alliance.
The arrangement that we have seen with the Alliance Government has wrought more destruction on the ACT community than I would have believed possible in the 18 months or so of its existence. The most notable destruction has been of confidence in the democratic system. Under this Alliance politicians and political parties have come merely to represent broken promises. The very confidence of people in the members that they elected has been eroded to a point where I do not believe, for some members opposite, it is retrievable; and that is shameful. That has been brought about by the actions of this Alliance Government.
If we look at some of the destructive actions that they have taken in the ACT community, we really need look no further than their devastation of the education system in our community. Under this alliance we have seen schools closed, quite clearly against the wishes of the community. We have seen protesters, legitimate protesters, arrested because they objected to that action. We have seen virtually the entire ministry out of Canberra at a vital time in that process and just abandoning their responsibilities.
We have seen indecent haste in this Alliance's attempt to sell off and redevelop those school sites for the profit of developers, with no regard whatsoever for the education of the children affected, no regard whatsoever for the community's legitimate interest in those facilities and, of course, no regard whatsoever for their own mandate as a government. They never had a mandate to do that, and it is disgraceful that they attempted for so long to carry out their own wishes in that regard.
In the health area, also, we have seen a disgraceful erosion of the standard of health service and facilities that Canberra has enjoyed. Under this Government we have seen the Royal Canberra Hospital run down and closed in a way that has totally failed to protect the health interests of our Canberra community. We have seen, in this chamber,
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