Page 2348 - Week 08 - Friday, 21 June 1991
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anomaly. After arduous research and debate by parliamentary lawyers and our own present government law officers, the post of Opposition Leader, well marked in May's Parliamentary Practice, was specifically left out of the self-government Act. There is, in my view, a contrary intention. With great respect to the learned Professor Richardson, I disagree with the opinion previously tendered to this house on that. I believe - and I think members should be aware - that that opinion may well be tested in the courts as a result of a vote here this evening. That would be regrettable.
I think it is most inappropriate to take this path, or at least not to leave a cooling-off period so that members would reflect upon the situation. After all, we were not going to sit again until August, from today. In my view, it would be most appropriate for the Chief Minister and her colleagues not to go off in knee-jerk fashion to support Mr Humphries' sour grapes proposal, put by his colleague Mr Stefaniak, but rather to put this issue over to August so that the Chief Minister and you, Mr Speaker, can seek to redetermine the legality of this further attempt to create the office of Leader of the Opposition.
I further point out to the house that the relevant standing order that Mr Stefaniak seeks to eliminate provides as follows:
On the first day of meeting of the Assembly after an election, or whenever the office becomes vacant, a Member ... may be elected by the Assembly to be the Leader of the Opposition.
I draw to the attention of the house that the office of Leader of the Opposition is not vacant. The standing order says:
On the first day of meeting ..., or whenever the office becomes vacant ...
It is not vacant. What Mr Stefaniak is seeking to do is to set up a procedure for the election of the next Leader of the Opposition. Of course, Mr Duby seems to be hale and hearty. We are going to take care of him. We will regulate his diet, we will carry him from place to place and we will ensure that he is happy and contented, like a veritable Manchu. Mr Stefaniak - through you, Mr Speaker - I hate to disappoint you, but it would appear that your motion fails to achieve your objective, unless you are going to move a further motion to attempt to vacate an office. That will do some other things.
Mr Connolly was not in this house on 11 May 1989. He is an adornment to the house - and I am not going to get into any ad hominem today. Mr Connolly does assist this house. He is assisting this house because he was about the first on his side, after Mr Wood who had to back off, who assisted us in a consultative fashion when he was in opposition. Mr
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