Page 2135 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 29 May 1991
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MR COLLAERY: The Human Rights Bill is on my former ministerial desk right now. It was ready to be introduced. Mr Speaker, I do not want to be diverted from giving thanks where they are due. They are due to a great number of advisers in government; to junior public servants, middle range public servants and senior advisers who stuck through the very strong pressures I put on them. I have been a very demanding Minister. I have wanted performance. I have always got performance. In terms of the Government Law Office, its officers, adjusting to self-government, have had to provide advisings left, right and centre. They have given great support to other Ministers, and they have certainly supported the people of this Territory in any number of ways. We have never had, in my experience, leaks, disaffection or any hallmark of an unhappy department.
I move now to the statutory authorities and the independent agencies, such as the Housing Trust. We have done a lot of work there. There have been a lot of reforms done. There is more to be done, and a great challenge lies there for my successor. I wish him or her well. We took community policing initiatives. The Community Policing Committee is up and running, and we have a responsive and respected police force in the Territory close to the community. Those things were done and I thank those who worked with me doing them.
Sadly, we have come to a parting of the ways with the Liberal Party and the Independents. So be it. Let history judge the bases behind it and the reasons for it. But you can be assured, you can be absolutely assured, that there will be no development of Cook, section 13, blocks 1, 6, 7 and 8; there will be no development of Lyons, section 41, block 1; there will be no development of that beautiful Holder site; there will be no development at Hackett and none at Curtin. The community should understand the very high price the Residents Rally has paid to protect those sites.
Mr Connolly: You got the sack. You did not resign.
MR COLLAERY: Yes, I got the sack for saving their schools, but I am not ashamed of it. I am not ashamed of that; I am proud of it. I do regret that the Community Advocate Bill, which I have been very excited about for the last few months and which was due to be introduced in the next fortnight - it will set up a mental health advocate, a guardianship role for our many elderly people in hostels and our youth advocate role - is now on the table and unsure of its direction. There are many other Bills that are just about ready. There was a harvest to be reaped. There is the adoption Bill, which we just got through; the Discrimination Bill, which is on my desk upstairs; the fair trading legislation and the legislation on wills. Many Bills have been drafted and my successor will reap that harvest. I trust that whoever that is will in good conscience introduce those necessary social reforms.
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