Page 2262 - Week 08 - Friday, 21 June 1991
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Having said that, I first of all must refute a proposition that was put as an aside from the cross benches down here that the previous Government had made some agreement with the Residents Rally about doing away with the position of Leader of the Opposition. I was the Chief Minister at the time, Mr Speaker, and there was no such agreement between the Liberal Party and the Residents Rally on that or any other issue. We were in the process of negotiations. We thought we were in the process of negotiations with the Rally, who, at the same time, were in negotiations with the Labor Party, as they always are, and they never, at any stage, came back to us with any comment on any of the matters that we put to them. In other words, negotiation was a one-way street: "We give you our recipe for 'the restoration of stable government'.". They were in no way interested in what the Liberal Party had to say on any one of those issues.
So, I totally refute the proposition that we, in any way, agreed to eliminate the position of Leader of the Opposition, or that we, in any way, agreed to any of the other propositions put to us by the Residents Rally at the time. That is why, presumably, they went to the Labor Party. That is why, in the end, they pulled the rug out from under the Liberal-Independents Group minority government of seven in favour of a Labor minority government of five. They saw some benefit for themselves in changing their allegiance at the time. I would be interested to know - - -
Mr Collaery: You sacked us.
MR KAINE: I sacked you as a Minister; you took the rest of the decisions yourself, Mr Collaery. You were sacked from the ministry for good cause; so do not try to defend yourself here on that matter. I will debate that matter with you at any time you like, at any forum, at any length, and you will lose the debate.
Mr Speaker, all of that having been said, this Assembly, in its unique, whimsical, democratic way has now elected Mr Duby as the Leader of the Opposition. I think that I should make a comment about that. Despite Mr Duby's entrance into this Assembly, I have to say to you that, during the time of my Government, Mr Duby was one of my best performers as a Minister. He has demonstrated himself to be a man of integrity. He has set aside his original opposition to the concept of self-government, has accepted the reality of it and, in my view, has made a major contribution to good government in this Territory over a period of about 18 months. I have no doubt, Mr Speaker, that as Leader of the Opposition he will continue to do the same thing. I think that it is a pity that the whimsicality of some members of this Assembly has caused Mr Duby to be elected to the position, but I have no doubt that he will take the position seriously and that he will serve the interests of the members of the Opposition properly and well in that regard.
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