Page 2306 - Week 08 - Friday, 21 June 1991
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There are other areas of agreement directed towards making this chamber a productive and respected element in the Australian parliamentary system. I stress that we are not alone in seeking a new level of representation for the people. I thought justice was not done to the chamber when it was suggested that there was some quirky development on the floor today. Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to table an article from the Australian of Tuesday, 18 June 1991.
Leave granted.
MR COLLAERY: That article clearly sets forth a report on the mood of a group of Independents, so-called, in New South Wales. Also, the author of that article is a most informed Australian commentator, and comments are made there. Also, Mr Peter Costigan, writing in the Canberra Times of Monday, 17 June, spoke of the major parties in the following terms:
Protected since the mid-1920s by an absurd law compelling all voters to present themselves at the polling booth and corrupted by the secrecy surrounding their internal affairs, the major parties have become both obsessed with power and increasingly subject to the pressures of artful, enterprising minorities.
In that latter category, there is clearly a factional grouping in the Liberal Party which has helped to destabilise the current Assembly. Of course, I am referring to Mr Humphries and the group who are with him and who effectively took out Mr Kaine. We acknowledge the recent election of an Independents group to the New South Wales Parliament. Their charter of reform reflects a number of our enunciated objectives. I seek leave to table that document because this will complete the history of today's events.
Leave granted.
MR COLLAERY: It does reflect a number of our enunciated objectives, in particular the need for a proper separation of constitutional powers. We say that that applies in this Territory as well. We have settled on a process to entrench the independence of the judiciary and we propose to move a motion in the appropriate terms, unless the Attorney does so at an early date.
It is equally important that we respond to calls by the Auditor-General of this Territory for resource independence. This Assembly is also beholden - we ourselves are beholden - to the elected Treasurer for resources. Independent machinery is necessary both to guarantee independence and to eliminate the temptation to trade resources for support, such as salary, travel and the perks of office. On a broader scale, the Alliance Government had prepared whistle-blower legislation, which
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