Page 2364 - Week 08 - Friday, 21 June 1991
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I am a gregarious sort of a guy. I would not mind if we had one every couple of weeks. We could all get together. I would get together with the Labor Party; I would get together with the Liberal Party. I think it would be great.
But that is the only time, I might add - and it leads us straight back to the situation of the Opposition. The idea of the Opposition speaking on my behalf, or even asking what my viewpoint is, is ludicrous. Yet there they sit - basically, the members on each side of the major machines - and say that democracy has been harmed because people in this Assembly, the majority of non-ALP people, have said that they wish to do away with the position of Leader of the Opposition in the only way that it could be done.
Mr Berry said that Mr Duby took the position for the wrong reasons. I suggest that it was for the right reasons; it was to do away with the position. The people of Canberra will not think that is the wrong reason. He also said that it was not delivering what the people of the ACT desire. Let me tell you, if you think the people of the ACT want a Leader of the Opposition and want it to be one man of five members, you have not been doing your surveying.
The truth of the matter is that it is a matter of power; it is a matter of ego. It is the name, it is the money and it is the position. And all that money and the position and the power are going to go to benefit one of the machine parties, the Liberal Party. It will not benefit the rest of the people in this Assembly. If it does, it will be unique, because none of it has gone that way yet. You will note that nobody jumps to their feet to say, "What a terrible thing to say. Let me give you the proof. Let me show you that you are wrong. Let me show you that, when we were leader of the so-called Opposition, we supported all people in other parties". No-one does that - and we all know why.
So, the truth of the matter is that, when people stand up in this Assembly and say, "Heavens above, some people think we are a farce", it is because we are a farce. And the reason why we are a farce is that this thing was forced upon us by machine parties in the first place - Labor and Liberal. It was continued by machine parties, Labor and Liberal, and I do not negate the fact that they were ably supported by some other people at the time. None of it benefits the people of Canberra one iota. But that is not the question in most people's minds here today. It is to do with power, raw power; the rest of it does not matter.
DR KINLOCH (9.03): Mr Deputy Speaker, first of all, in connection with events that are taking place, I would make it very clear indeed that I have been a very true and loyal friend to David Prowse today in a number of ways, including giving him a very proper and friendly warning on those who would, frankly, have him in another place.
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