Page 2270 - Week 08 - Friday, 21 June 1991

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Before I close, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a couple of comments in relation to some matters that Mr Kaine raised. Mr Kaine indicated that the Rally had been sacked, but it chose to leave the Alliance. Let me put clearly on the record what actually happened. In the joint party room on the Tuesday evening the issue of whether or not we, the Rally, were prepared to support the final variations for the changes to the school sites was discussed. We indicated to all the members of the joint party room at that time that if they chose to proceed down that path we were not prepared to support them. We gave Mr Kaine, the leader of the government at the time, the opportunity to reconsider the course that he was taking. However, Mr Speaker, Mr Kaine chose not to do that.

As the bells were ringing before we came into the house on the day of the no-confidence motion, my colleague Mr Collaery was handed a letter, as I have already indicated, not by Mr Kaine, not even by a member of his personal staff but by a person from the cabinet office. That letter reads:

Dear Deputy Chief Minister

A meeting of the Liberal and Independents Group members of the Government resolved today that they could no longer rely on the members of the Residents Rally to support decisions of the Joint Party Room or the Executive.

Accordingly, they resolved that:

a. The Accord is no longer viable and is therefore terminated, and

b. That members of the Residents Rally be no longer members of the Government.

I am now advising you that pursuant to subsection 41(3) of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 you are dismissed from office as a Minister from the time of your receipt of this letter.

I seek leave, Mr Speaker, to table that letter.

Leave granted.

MR JENSEN: There is just another small point. During the discussions that we had with both the Labor and the Liberal parties at that particular time, Mr Speaker, we had a discussion in the Chief Minister's office. Present were myself - - -

Mrs Nolan: Some members of the Liberal Party.


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