Page 2171 - Week 07 - Thursday, 6 June 1991
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Mr Kaine is asking members to vote for his Government, in fact, without knowing who his Ministers will be. Members must ask themselves whether Mr Kaine will again have to succumb to the bids made by those members who will sell their vote for the biggest personal benefit they can derive. In Mr Kaine's position, you can only offer government by auction. The Canberra Times has told its readers today that we should prefer Mr Kaine's Government. I will leave it to the Canberra community to judge that opinion, just as they will judge the vote by each member on this motion.
In contrast, I am offering to form a minority government with a certain and known agenda. Our agenda was outlined at the 1989 election and again on the assumption of office. In government, we kept our promises. No schools were closed. We developed a plan to retain and refurbish the Royal Canberra Hospital. The budget was balanced. Our commitment to open and consultative government was demonstrated by the announcement of a draft budget for public consultation. And, at that time, we endured the criticism of that draft budget, and we changed the budget in response to community feedback.
If we are returned to government, we will be open and consultative with all groups in the community and in the Assembly. We will adopt a conciliatory approach in order to provide stable government up to the election scheduled for next February. The schools will be reopened. We will endeavour to retain a public hospital on Acton Peninsula. The leasehold system will not be compromised.
The facts that I have outlined today make it clear that there is only one choice. Mr Kaine has said that he will not do what the community or the majority of the Assembly members want. The course is now open to change the government. I ask members to follow that course and declare that this Assembly has no confidence in the Kaine Government.
MR KAINE (Chief Minister) (2.45): Mr Speaker, some months ago it fell to me, as Chief Minister, in similar circumstances to those currently pertaining, to answer charges levelled against me and against my Government. And, incidentally, they are the same charges that are being levelled now. There is nothing that has changed in the intervening months. I say now, as I said then, that I am by nature an introspective man and when people make accusations against me, when people question my probity and integrity, I take those matters very seriously. I do not dismiss them out of hand. I am prepared to listen quietly and attentively - and I have done that for Ms Follett - so that I might know clearly what it is that is being said about me and thus hopefully understand the message and the motives of my accusers.
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