Page 2342 - Week 08 - Friday, 21 June 1991
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Westminster tradition. That is what we are proposing. We are saying that, rather than leave that as a matter of convention, as it is in other parliaments, it should become a matter for the standing orders of this Assembly.
Obviously, on some occasions - I hope not often - there will be situations where the Assembly finds itself with two non-government parties of equal size and larger than any other non-government parties. In those circumstances, obviously, there has to be some procedure to resolve the conflict between the claims of two parties to be the opposition and to have the Opposition Leader. It seems to me appropriate, in those circumstances, that a mechanism ought to be provided, and it is provided in Mr Stefaniak's motion in his standing order 5B. That provision ought to be that there be an election, at the will of the Assembly, which provides for a choice between those two largest non-government parties.
Mr Collaery has long talked about the duopoly. Tonight, perhaps, through his own actions, he has caused the duopoly, perhaps for the first time in this Assembly, to actually rear its head. We have not actually seen a great deal of the duopoly in the last two years of this Assembly, I might say. The occasions on which the Liberal and Labor parties have voted together have been, in fact, quite rare, as Mr Collaery and Mr Duby will see if they care to look at the record. (Extension of time granted) Through the actions earlier today of those sitting on the so-called cross benches, it is now the case, I think, that that duopoly will operate and it will cause the same tradition that is used elsewhere in the Westminster world to be used here in this Assembly. That, in my view, is appropriate.
I emphasise again that there is confusion, particularly among those sitting on my right, about what it is to be in opposition. Opposition is not the same as non-government.
Ms Maher: It is.
MR HUMPHRIES: No. Ms Maher, obviously, displays her confusion about this; it is not the same as non-government. The Australian Democrats, for example, in the Federal Parliament are not in opposition; they sit on the cross benches. The Liberal Party and the National Party in the Federal Parliament are in opposition. There is a difference. I do not think that those, like the members of the Residents Rally, who claim - - -
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Humphries! The time for the debate has concluded.
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