Page 2158 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 29 May 1991
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Maher. They were going to hang onto power, to hang onto the ministerial car, to hang onto the Alliance; to sell out everything. That was the clear view of the president of their party not 10 minutes before it became apparent that Trevor Kaine had finally sacked them.
If they had resigned with honour they could have gone out into the community and said, "We are the watchdogs of the community interests. We have forsaken ministerial office on a principle". Instead, but 10 minutes before they were sacked, they were the lap-dogs of the Liberals, preparing to hang onto office and sell out the schools community. I spoke to the schools community who were here this morning, shortly after David Read, and we all expressed amazement that that was the position of the Residents Rally. Then, 10 minutes later, you were sacked by the Chief Minister. So, you are not only attempting to be the lap-dogs of the Chief Minister, the lap-dogs of the Libs. The Libs did not want you. They just pointed to the door and threw you out like the curs that you are.
Mr Speaker, the Residents Rally has forsaken any position of honour in this debate, and that must not be forgotten. Had they taken the honourable course, had they stood up to the Liberal Party, they would have some respect in the Canberra community. Instead, they have been sacked, because the Chief Minister could no longer take the constant disunity within the party.
But let us not think that all the blame is on the Residents Rally in this ramshackle Government. Let us not get conned into the situation that the Liberal Party is acting honourably in this debate. The instability in the Government was prompted some weeks ago when the Chief Minister got up and announced a significant change in policy, contrary to Residents Rally policy, which is usually the way - but no-one pays any attention to the Residents Rally in government. He announced that at a CARD meeting, contrary to a decision of his Cabinet, which was that it should not be announced. So, where is the honour here? This whole ramshackle Government, which is clinging desperately to power and which has been inflicting damage on the community now for 18 months, is coming to an end, and we welcome that. We hope that the status quo at least can be preserved until the next election when the people of Canberra will make the decisions on these issues.
We are going to debate leasehold next week, but we should have been debating it this morning. Dr Kinloch was going to introduce a Bill to preserve the Residents Rally position on leasehold, which is a position that we share. What happened to it? He changed his mind and withdrew the Bill. To the bitter end, until 10 minutes before you were sacked, 10 minutes before this house sat, the president of your party was meekly saying, "Well, we agree with the Labor motion, but we cannot go along with it because it is too important that we keep stable government". Dr Kinloch has withdrawn a motion that was going to test this outrageous decision on leaseholds.
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