Page 2691 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 August 1991
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That might have been the choice of the former Government, but it is not the way that this Government operates. One has to be careful, of course, that one does not prejudice Mr O'Neill in his application for the position, if he chooses to apply. But we are not the ones who raised this issue; it was the members opposite. They heard the Chief Minister's response to the report from Mr O'Neill. I would have expected that they would have the commonsense to accept that merit appointment is an appropriate course in this case, but they will not accept that. It seems, therefore, that they argue for us to warmly embrace patronage. Well, we are not going to do it.
Mr Kaine: I seek leave to make a statement on this matter, Mr Speaker.
Leave not granted.
Motion (by Mr Kaine) agreed to:
That so much of the standing and temporary orders be suspended as would prevent Mr Kaine from making a further statement on the matter.
MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (8.32): Thank you, members. I think the debate of the last few minutes has been most regrettable. Some things have been said that perhaps would have been better not said. I do not believe for a moment that the position adopted by Mr Collaery is quite as out of order as the Government would have us believe. What he was saying to us was that he had proposed to refer a matter to the Auditor-General but the Auditor-General's position is so unclear as a result of this report. The Chief Minister's response does little to clarify it, to be quite clear. I have the Chief Minister's letter and it does not clarify the position.
However, setting aside whether Mr Collaery is correct or incorrect in what he said - I notice that the Government is very sensitive about it, so I presume that they are very sensitive about this whole issue - the real crux of this matter, I think, is the following statement made by the Auditor-General in his report:
... from 23 July 1991 my occupancy of the position of Auditor-General is a day to day proposition at the whim of the Government.
That is an accurate statement. Despite what the Chief Minister might now wish to say, that is an accurate statement. It is unacceptable and it must be rectified quickly.
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